The Legend of the Healers
by Naiya12
Summary: In the year 3012, an incurable virus, killing all that it comes in contact with, has taken hold. When groups of strangers emerge, using their hands to heal the sick, hope is reborn. However, will there be a cost to these healers revealing themselves? A/U
1. Foreword

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Foreword

In the year 3012, the world as we know it no longer exists. Medical technology has evolved beyond what anyone thought possible. Diseases, virus', even the common cold have been virtually eradicated. While the human race brags and boasts on these accomplishments, the sacrifices made reaching said endeavors has ultimately become our downfall. How could we have known the numerous tests performed on subjects would have such detrimental effects to our success? The signs should have been obvious. While the symptoms did not appear until years later, leaving us to believe the tests were ineffective on the subjects, we should have kept a closer eye on them. If we had done such, maybe…just maybe, we could have stopped the catastrophic events that have ravaged our world.

...

**A/N: **I do not have someone BETAing this so please forgive any mistakes made. I would appreciate anyone willing to leave a comment, highlighting any errors they have spotted, but only if they are able to enjoy reading while doing so. I am OCD when it comes to grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure, but I can't catch everything. It's hard to take a step back and look over with a critical eye when it's something you have immersed yourself, such as writing.

Also, I am not one who often speaks profanities, so I'm apologizing beforehand in case anyone is offended. Naruto, Suigetsu, and even Sasuke (as well as others in given circumstances) are sometimes guilty of such language and if I kept everything roses and daisies, it wouldn't justify their characters. Therefore, this story is rated T for language.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the create genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 1

"Dr. Ogawa, the barricades won't hold much longer. We have to leave the stragglers behind. There's nothing we can do for them," a man in uniform yells toward the red-headed doctor.

"I refuse. You may have your priorities, but I made an oath to heal the sick. If I abandon them now, everything I have done will be in vain," the fiery haired doctor spat in return.

_Damn our stupidity…damn __Tanaka _Orochimaru and his forsaken research…and damn those…those abominations_._

Karin heaved a sigh, trying to help the sickly child next to her down the cement hallway of the escape tunnels under our hospital, careful to make sure she only touched her with her gloved hands. She might as well be damned herself. She blindly followed Dr. Tanaka…no he no longer deserved to be called a doctor after everything he's done.

The echoed pounding on the steel doors down the hallway are a constant reminder of just how far they've spiraled downward from their years believed success. If only they'd known that the research Orochimaru had them conduct, all those chemicals they had injected into those poor souls, would cause such devastation they would never have complied. No amount of diseases they 'cure' can make up for the destruction they've caused.

"Karin, we're going to have to double the pace if we're going to get these people out before those doors cave," a man in glasses, his silver hair pulled tightly back out of his face, voice frantic as we continue down the dank hallways.

"I know Kabuto, but if we push these people too hard, it could speed the pace of the virus," she gave a solemn answer, praying that they are far enough ahead to make our escape, "We just have to get these people to the end of the hallway. Suigetsu and Juugo have the panic room prepared for us. We just have to make it a little further…"

The 'virus;' the result of our 'curing' cancer, influenza, and even the common cold. The symptoms are a mixture of several diseases; the beginning stage starting with a fever, which later brings about boils and rashes all over the skin, and the final stages are similar to that of the Ebola virus, bleeding from the eyes, nose, and ears. When these symptoms first appeared, they thought it was yet another disease that could be cured using the chemical compounds they developed under Orochimaru's guidance. However, not only did the medicine _not_ help the patients, it seemed to worsen their conditions. It wasn't until later that they pieced together that the patients deathly ill, staggering into the hospital, were those who volunteered to help them create our cure-all compounds.

The basis of these medications comprised of chemicals such as sodium carbonate, isoamyl acetate, and zinc oxide, and depending on the disease required the variants added to 'attack' and cure the patient of their ailment. ZIAS took the nation by storm, curing anything and everything a person could possibly have. They thought they were healing people. They thought they had finally created the perfect antidote to every illness known to man. That is, until their test subjects began dying, infecting, and taking others along with them. If only the dead had remained that way, they wouldn't be in the situation they are now.

"Dr. Ogawa, it's Kiku, she's bleeding!" The girl's mother hollered in desperation.

Everyone stopped, quickly scurrying away from the small girl and her mother. The girl sat leaning against the cold gray wall, her chest heaving dangerously fast, her eyes unfocused, and blood slowly trickling from her nose.

"Kabuto," Karin rasped.

"We have to leave them. She's too far gone. There's nothing we can do for her now," Kabuto stated flatly.

"But she's just a little girl. Their bodies heal so much more quickly than an adults, we still have a chance," she tried to argue, an attempt to convince Kabuto and deny the truth that lay in front of her.

"Do you hear that?" A man amongst the group whispered.

Silence enveloped them as they listened for what the man had noticed. After a few eerie moments, the small girls breathing the only sound resonating, Karin's eyes widened with realization.

"The banging…" she whispered.

"We've got to move..._now_," Kabuto replied hoarsely.

Before anyone could begin moving, a steady scraping could be heard from down the hallway. The scraping became more erratic and louder with each passing  
second. More grating could be heard along with inhuman gurgling.

"We've got to move NOW!" Kabuto yelled, shaking the group from their catatonic state.

It took only a moment for chaos to break loose. Those who were still able began running towards the end of the hallway, opposite where the sounds emanated. When the sounds of the security guard's Glock began ringing through the air, Karin knew they were doomed. Even if she and Kabuto made it to the panic room, none of the surviving patients would, thus preventing any chance of them being able to create a cure with no ill person's to conduct research on.

Just down the hall, an opening that lead to yet another escape route from the hospital could be seen. Karin could only hope and pray that those doors remained sealed. If they had also been breached, then it was only a matter of time before the small group would be surrounded.

"They've caught up to us," Karin hollered to Kabuto as she tried to help as many as she could move down the hall.

"There's nothing we can do for them if _we_ die. We have to get to the panic room," Kabuto yelled back at her.

"We can't just leave them to the mercy of those _things_!" Rage filling Karin's voice.

"Then you can stay behind and play hero, I'm getting to that room," Kabuto retorted as he began pushing past the unsteady patients.

"Kabuto! KABUTO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Karin cried desperately.

When the booming of bullets ceased, Karin's attention fell onto the fleeing security guard, retreating after Kabuto and leaving everyone defenseless. Karin's stomach churned as nausea began taking hold. She was powerless, abandoned, and there was no escape.

"We're all going to die," she murmured, her legs no longer able to sustain her weight.

Those fortunate enough to move quicker than the others have managed to only make it as far as the second entry way before the scraping and gurgling was no longer an echo down the hallway. With renewed desperation Karin tried to pick herself up, using the wall for support, in an attempt to get away. However, when she braved a glance at where Kiku and her mother were sitting only moments ago, grief and futility enveloped her.

Bracing her hands against the freezing cold cement that would ultimately become her tomb, all Karin could do was watch as the bodies of her patients, who were no longer patients, moved upon them. Screams of pain and terror filled the hallway, reverberating within Karin.

"I'm sorry…there's nothing I can do…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears falling from her eyes, as she started making her way towards Kabuto's direction.

They wouldn't be distracted for too long. Once they slaughtered those unable to move on their own, they would turn on them and it would only be a matter of time before their numbers doubled.

With each step away from their screams, the pounds of guilt increased, making her legs falter. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop her body from shaking as tears continued to fall, but the screams kept growing closer.

"Dr. Ogawa, Dr. Ogawa…help me," a man, leaning against the wall a few feet behind her caught her attention.

Karin turned, hoping to see only a weak man infected with the virus. Her eyes widened when her eyes landed on him. It was evident that he had been attacked, blood pouring from various wounds on his arms and torso.

"I'm so sorry," her voice coming a little above a whisper, "I'm so sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

"But…but…you can help me. You can find a cure before…before I," his voice trembling in anguish.

"Not like this…I can't do anything for this," Karin's head shook, tears spilling for profusely.

A scream behind her caught her attention. They were moving in on those who were fleeing. It was only a matter of time. She wouldn't make it. Even if she ran, leaving behind those she was trying to help escape and her morality, she would never outrun them.

She had caught their attention. The man she had just spoken with yelled in horror as he was pulled back into the group he had just escaped from. His cries were muted by the sounds his body being torn apart.

Karin's hand flew to her mouth, trying to keep the vomit that threatened to spill at bay, as she watched the carnage unfold before her. She was going to be torn apart just like him. Even if she ran, they would never stop chasing her. She was tired, so _tired_, and they felt none of this exhaustion.

She turned to flee, regardless of the fact that they would eventually catch her, and her tired legs began moving her away from the mob. Grimy, blood covered fingers grabbed for her. They managed to grasp a few tendrils of hair, felt a tug on the fabric of her lab coat, but she eluded them.

Tears flowed from her eyes, for she knew she would meet the same fate as those she had tried to save, but her legs kept moving. However her body, tired with both physical and emotional exhaustion, began to slow.

The hands ripping after her finally held a firm grasp on her white lab coat, staining it crimson with the residue left on their pasty flesh. This was it. This was the moment she was going to die. She was going to die in the desolate cement vault and there was nothing she could do.

A scream ripped from her throat as she felt herself falling backward, into the greedy hands of those who have been chasing her. Midway down, the force of the pull ceased and she felt herself falling on her own, gravity taking hold of her. When she hit the ground, her frightened eyes flew behind her to see a severed hand lying on the ground, disconnected from body of the one ready to dismember her limbs.

A flash of black and silver caught her attention as she watched the bodies of those after her began to fall; their heads rolling to the ground while their bodies remained standing for a few more moments, then crumpling into a heap of blood and decay.

"What's going on?" Karin's voice, hoarse from her screams, managed to grumble.

It was all she could do to try and keep up with the flashes that kept appearing and disappearing. Then, she felt a presence beside her.

...

**A/N: **I searched all over the internet and as far as anyone knows, Orochimaru, Karin, nor Juugo have last names. Thus Orochimaru became Orochimaru Tanaka and Karin became Karin Ogawa to fit the purposes of my fanfic.

So here it is! The first chapter of my fanfic. I actually dreamed this and just couldn't resist putting in to paper…or well…keyboard I guess. Chapters will vary in length. I will not be writing a set amount, I will simply write what needs to occur in the chapter and move on to the next. I refuse to become bogged down by making sure each chapter is such and such amount of words, dragging this out unnecessarily. By doing so, I tend to lose interest and not update. Thus, some chapters may be one thousand words and others may be closer to three. Just depend on what needs to happen and how long it takes me to get it down. So please, don't ask for chapters to be longer, because the longer the chapter, the longer it will take me to update. Also, depending on how popular this story becomes will depend on how often I update. I write for enjoyment, I don't get paid to do so, but if I see people are really into the story, I will work to make sure I update as often as possible.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 2

"Don't worry, we're here to help," a tall man, with silver hair much like Kabuto's, calmly knelt beside her.

The only visible sign of his smile was the crinkle of his uncovered eye, the remainder of his face concealed by black cloth.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I need to know if you've been infected," his voice grave.

All Karin could manage was to shake her head from side to side slowly, staring at the man beside her in awe.

"Good…that's good. You've worked hard. Just relax and let us finish things up here and we'll be on our way," a smile resurfacing on his face.

At the mention of _us_, Karin turned back to the bodies before her and noticed that the flash of black and silver she had seen was actually a man. Not only that, but there was another standing beside him. She turned back to the silver haired man, noticing for the first time yet another unfamiliar person.

"Sakura, check her," Kakashi said quietly as he walked towards the two men ahead of them.

"Hai," the petite girl replied.

Karin's eyes never left the girl as she knelt beside her. This girl was…_different_. No, different was an understatement. While Karin's flaming red, shoulder length hair wasn't considered abnormal, there were other people she knew that had red hair. _Pink_ hair was another story entirely. Sure, people had been known to put pink highlights in their hair…well, that was before the virus when people were still 'normal.' However, this girl's eyebrows were also pink. Unless she had found hair dye in one of the many abandoned stores, this girl's long, elbow length hair was natural.

She was about the same size as Karin, may be a bit smaller framed, but overall she was of the same build. Her bright green eyes twinkled in concern as she gave Karin a once over. Relief soon filled them when she found no open wounds along Karin's exposed skin.

Karin took a moment to look over herself and attest the damage done to her attire; feeling a sense of security from being reunited with others not infected. Her white, knee length lab coat could no longer be labelled even a shade of white. Crimson splatters could be seen here and there along with black smudges from floor she sat on. Her knee length lavender dress, once in pristine condition, now had tears and stains all along the material. Her calf high, inch heeled boots seemed to have made it out the best, only having a scuff or two on the toes. What was left of her black pantyhose could be considered a joke.

"This may feel a little weird, but I promise you'll feel better once I'm finished," the girl, Sakura, said in a soft, nurturing tone.

Karin's eyes shot up to jade green and she gave a small nod. Sakura's hands came to rest on Karin's temples and the faint glow of green was visible from Karin's peripheral vision. A tingling sensation seeped through to her bones, numbing her senses, and Karin felt like she would melt into a puddle of goo where she sat. She hadn't realized her eyes had closed until footsteps echoed behind her.

"She's just exhausted. No signs of infection," Sakura's voice vibrated in her ears.

Karin opened her eyes, feeling refreshed. She was a doctor. She was well aware of pressure points and how applying pressure to such affects the body, but never in her life had she felt anything compared to what Sakura had done with the touch of her hands. She might have felt this way after getting a good night's sleep, which in this day and age was rare, but even then the rested affects only last as long as it took her to wake. No medicine she had ever come across could create such refreshing effects either; without the side-effect of grogginess or lethargy. Not even ZIAS had such effects on people, regardless of the fact that it cured all.

"What did you do?" Karin couldn't stop the mistrusting tone from leaching her voice.

"We'll explain everything. Right now, we need to get out of here," Kakashi interjected.

Sakura gave Karin a small smile in reassurance and helped her to her feet. More footsteps echoed the hallway and Karin turned to watch the two men who had apparently disposed of the mob chasing her approach them.

"We need to move," the dark haired one said solemnly.

"We'll check for survivors in the panic room and make our escape," Kakashi nodded in agreement.

The four turned without another word and began walking towards the room Karin had sought in salvation. Risking a glance behind her, Karin decided she would take her chances with the four strangers, rather than risking survival on her own. She quickly turned back and walked swiftly to catch up with the four who had saved her.

...

They walked in silence, the three men's eyes constantly looking for anything out of the ordinary. Sakura, now walking more slowly beside Karin, seemed completely relaxed despite the chaos from their earlier introduction.

The group looked like nomads, their clothes tattered and dirty. The darker haired boy, the one who had severed the hand gripping her lab coat and in turn saved her life, wore black baggy pants and a high collared black, short sleeve shirt. On the back of his shirt, displayed in a brilliant white and red design, was what Karin could make out to be an uchiwa. Around his thigh was tattered tape, holding some sort of satchel in place. His arms were tapped from wrist to elbow in this same tattered tape, in an attempt to possibly cover the exposed flesh, but Karin could only guess. His hair spiked messily around his features, but to Karin, they style suited him. What struck Karin the most though, was the long sheath draped across his lower back, hiding the sharp blade of his chokutō within the scabbard.

The man standing next to him was a complete contrast. Where one seemed to try to blend into the shadows, the other dared to shadows to hide him. He too wore baggy pants, reaching just short of his ankles, however the bright shade of orange was almost blinding. While his undershirt was midnight black, his jacket wrapped loosely around his upper body, was the same vibrant orange, sporting black along the shoulders. From the brief glimpse that Karin was able to take, she had seen a circular swirl on the front of the boy's shirt, the symbol in a deep crimson red and a sharp contrast to the black material it lied upon. He, like his counterpart, had a satchel tapped to his thigh, jingling quietly with each step he took.

The third male in the group, the leader from what Karin could assume, dressed much like his darker haired follower. His navy blue long sleeve shirt, rolled up mid-forearm, and baggy black pants, those too rolled up slightly above his ankle, made it hard to see him in the shadows. Black gloves covered both hands, strapping around the tops of his wrist, leaving only a small part of their flesh exposed through a hole that allowed flexibility. While his outfit was dark, his silver hair, spiking more to one side than the other, was a beacon. He too had a design on the back of his shirt, a swirl that came to a point in the bottom left corner, but Karin couldn't make out what it was supposed to be. His black mask, covering a majority of his face, also hid his neck from view. Karin decided that it was either a symbol of their group or a revolutionary attempt at carrying items, because this Kakashi person had two satchels tapped to one thigh.

The girl, Sakura, Karin was able to look at a little more closely due to their proximity. She, Karin noted, showed much more skin than her followers, but it didn't seem to be on purpose. Her clothes were much more ragged than her companions. Her tight fitting maroon tank top exposed her midriff and the black tinted mesh-like material that attempted to cover it. Her black shorts fell just short of mid-thigh, a satchel tapped just below their hem. Karin also noticed a pair of black gloves, similar to their leaders, was tucked neatly in the waist of her shorts. While the other three wore black, combat style boots, Sakura's boots were much like Karin's; lacing up mid-calf, but missing the heel, having a more all-terrain sole. Against her back was a white circle. Rather than being completely white, the circle was more an outline, the maroon of her shirt visible in the middle of the circle.

Sakura ruffled the longer bangs covering her eyes back to their place; sweeping them across her forehead. Karin could help but bring her thoughts back to wondering if her hair was indeed naturally pink.

"This is it," Kakashi said as they arrived in front of the steel roll-up doorway, "Uh, we've been terribly rude. If you could be a dear and open the door for us, we'll secure the area and get all the introductions out of the way," Kakashi directed towards the red head.

Karin nodded and walked up to the right side of the doorway. She removed the plastic cover, assessing the keypad underneath. Typing in her personal identification number from the hospital a robotic voice came over the intercom above.

"Place thumb and index finger on the screen for fingerprint identification."

Karin complied with the computers request. After a series of beeps, the voice returned.

"Place eye near scanner for iris recognition."

Karin removed her black, thick rimmed glasses and took a step toward the red laser emitting from the wall upon the computers request. Another series of beeps were heard, followed by the computer's mechanical vocals.

"Please state name and position for biometric voiceprint."

"Ogawa Karin. Senior physician in chemical engineering."

"Biometric voiceprint recognized. Welcome Dr. Ogawa," the robotic voice replied, lifting the large steel door, granting access to the panic room.

The blond and their leader immediately entered the room, scanning for any danger. The darker haired on waited for Sakura to enter and Karin caught the subtle exchange the two shared. Her gaze refocusing on the man across from her, his gaze now staring at her impassively, Karin knew he was waiting for her to enter.

"Karin-chan!" A man's voice boomed within the room, "You made it. Thank Kami."

"I wouldn't have if not for the help of these four," Karin replied honestly, smiling at the white haired man in front of her.

"Kabuto, you bastard, looks like I won't need to kill you after all," the man stated angrily.

"Suigetsu-san, if you would be so kind as to untie me, we can get to work," Kabuto replied calmly, betraying the relief he felt at Karin's safe return.

"Karin-san, I'm glad you made it to us in one piece," a much larger man with orange hair said quietly, "Are you the only one?"

Karin averted her eyes to the ground and nodded slowly.

"Well at least you're okay," the man said quieter than his last statement.

"So who are these creeps?" Suigetsu asked tersely.

"Sui, manners!" Karin scolded.

"Yeah, yeah, so who are you four and what are you doing in the hospital escape tunnels?" Suigetsu eyed them suspiciously.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi," Kakashi said as he took a step forward, "this is Uzumaki Naruto," he continued gesturing towards the blond.

Naruto gave a quick salute with a wide grin.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke," Kakashi gestured again towards the darker haired man.

Sasuke simply nodded once in acknowledgement.

"And this," Kakashi stepped slightly to the side, revealing the pink haired girl behind him, "is Haruno Sakura."

Sakura smiled sweetly, giving a respectful nod to each person in front of her.

"Thank you for helping Karin-san, we are indebted to you," the larger man stepped forward, "My name is Hamada Juugo, this is Hōzuki Suigetsu, that fellow over there is Yakushi Kabuto, and you're already familiar if our Ogawa Karin," Juugo introduced each doctor.

"A pleasure," Kakashi greeted each of them.

"So what the hell are you guys doing down here?" Suigetsu cut in, readdressing his previous question.

"Yes, if you don't mind us asking, what _are_ you doing down here?" Juugo spoke again.

Karin's gaze scanned over the group, lingering on Sasuke a moment longer than the rest.

"Can't cha' just be happy we brought your lady friend back and leave the why's alone," Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Karin was somewhat surprised to hear Naruto speak. It's not that she thought he was mute, she just didn't expect his voice to be so…_loud_.

"Naruto," Sakura reprimanded softly.

"I'm sorry, but now is really not the time to get into the details of things. We need to get all of you and the ill out of here before more of the infected arrive," Kakashi dodged the question easily.

Kakashi noticed movement beside him, taking a glance to see Sasuke step in front of Sakura, blocking her from Kabuto's intense stare. Karin too noticed the exchange, examining Sasuke's profile as inconspicuously as possible.

"How many patients do you have here?" Kakashi broke the tension.

"About fifteen. Two of them are have to be moved with wheelchairs, but the others can walk," Karin answered.

"How far infected are they?" Naruto spoke up this time.

"A couple have developed a rash, but most only have a high fever," Suigetsu answered, flipping through a couple of charts.

"We don't have much time," Sasuke's low voice cut through the air.

"Gather anything of use. We move in five," Kakashi nodded towards the cupboards.

"_We_ are not going _anywhere_. Especially not dragging the only surviving patients we were able to save, until we know who the hell you guys are and how you knew we were down here!" Suigetsu hollered frustration apparent on his face.

Sasuke had Suigetsu pinned against the wall, feet dangling from the floor, before Suigetsu could blink his eyes. When he realized where he had been relocated in retrospect to where he previously stood, his eyes widened in utter shock.

"_You_ did this to these people. _You _lost the right to care for them the moment you created and injected them with that drug you called a miracle," Sasuke seethed.

The room became deathly silent, as if it were possible to do such with dying patients on just the other side of the wall Suigetsu was pinned against. Naruto calmly walked up to Sasuke and gripped his forearm.

"Beating the shit out of him now isn't going to get us out of here any faster. Save it for later, teme" Naruto's words came smoothly, as if unaffected by Sasuke's sudden outburst.

Slowly releasing the collar of Suigetsu's lab coat, Sasuke cast him a pensive glare before stiffly retreating next to Sakura and leaning against the white-painted-over-cement wall.

"So fast," Kabuto muttered; his words only heard by Juugo standing beside him.

"All we can tell you is that we're here to help and we can protect you; get you to a safer location. You and all of your patients, but we're running out of time. It won't be long until more of them come down here and I would prefer to have a more open area to defend all of you in," Kakashi smoothed over Sasuke's eruption.

Karin glanced between Kakashi, Sakura, and then turned to her fellow colleagues. All of them looked just as confused as she, except Kabuto whose gaze seemed more thoughtful than perplexed.

"I think we should listen to them. If it wasn't for their help, I wouldn't be here right now," Karin resigned to say.

"Fine, fine. Juugo and I can push to two that are too ill to walk. Karin get all of their charts together. Kabuto, gather anything that will fit in our medpacks," Suigetsu ordered, making his way to the doorway at the back of the room.

Everyone began moving about the room, a new urgency filling them as they prepared to leave the place they thought would be their safe haven.

...

"That creep in the glasses keeps checking out Sakura-chan," Naruto mumbled to Sasuke.

The duo had taken head of the group, scouting and ready to remove any disturbances that obstructed their path.

"Ah," Sasuke whispered, noticing the same earlier in the panic room.

"You think he knows something?" Naruto's yellow eyes and bar-like pupils scanned the cement hallways that plunged into darkness ahead of them.

"Impossible," Sasuke hissed.

No one _could_ know. The last time their kind had surfaced was well over two hundred years ago.

"I'm just sayin' the way he keeps his eyes on her, it's like he's just _waiting _for something," Naruto spoke in quiet tones.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted in acknowledgement.

Sasuke's eyes bled a deep crimson, three tomoes spinning slowly in each eye as they made it to the adjacent hallway that they had encountered Karin and the group she was with. If they were going to run into any more of them, it would be around here, and it would be soon.

Finding no immediate danger, Sasuke risked a glance behind him to his pink haired teammate leading the group. He, Kakashi, and Naruto agreed that she would lead, directly behind them, allowing Kakashi to guard the rear of the group. Kakashi could handle anything behind them, while he and Naruto could manage the front. It was safer for her where she was, in the middle. The group would block anything that managed to get past Kakashi, acting as a sort of shield, allowing him and Naruto to get to her in time. Her safety was all that mattered. Anyone who managed to survive was a bonus.

The only problem he could foresee was Sakura's inability to put herself before anyone. Sasuke knew that should the situation arise, she would protect the group, risking her safety. He could only hope that he would be fast enough to stop whatever attacked them before she could do something stupid and get herself hurt.

They carefully stepped over the bodies of those they disposed of earlier. Several strides later, Sakura and the rest of the group reached those same bodies, disgusted gasps and horrified moans echoed through the chilly passageway.

Sasuke and Naruto froze, fearing that any stragglers or newcomers to the infection would hear the group and make their move. Sakura made quick work to get the group silenced and past the decaying corpses.

When Naruto failed to pick up on any foreign signatures, the two began moving once again. Reaching the adjacent hallway, Sasuke took a sharp left and meticulously swept his eyes as far as they could see, his kekkei genkai spinning slowly while searching for any foreign entities ahead. Nodding in agreement, the two continued to lead the group, several paces ahead.

Midway down the hall, Sasuke was doing all he could not to allow any bit of relief to dampen his senses. He knew they were almost out of these dark corridors, for this is the route they took when they ran into Karin earlier.

"Sasuke, Naruto, we need to stop. The younger ones need a minute or two to catch their breath," Sakura whispered as quietly as she could, whilst still catching their attention.

Sighing heavily, Sasuke stopped, allowing Sakura and the group to catch up to him while Naruto stayed a few paces ahead.

"We're almost out. They can wait," Sasuke glared down at her.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura's tone soft, adding the affectionate honorific she only used when he was being unreasonable, "They're just children and they're sick."

"_They_ are not my concern," Sasuke grit out, not allowing Sakura the victory she was striving for.

"But they are mine," she narrowed her eyes at him.

He scoffed at her audacity. Leave it to Sakura, who was his main priority given the circumstances, to jeopardize their clean get away because her heart is just too big for her small body.

"Two minutes," he grumbled, not daring to look at the warm smile spreading across her face.

"I'll keep him company Sakura-chan, you just take care of those kiddos," Naruto smiled in return, nodding towards Kakashi who had walked up halfway through their conversation.

Kakashi ruffled Sakura's hair, mumbling something about being the 'death of him' and returned to the rear of the group.

Sakura immediately began checking on the younger children, moving to the older soon after, while Naruto caught up to Sasuke. In typical brooding fashion, Sasuke was leaning against the cold, cement wall, arms crossed over his chest, on foot propped up against the wall, and bangs covering his blood-red eyes.

"I don't know what you're throwing a fit about teme, you know Sakura better than anyone, and you know that there's no point in arguing with her when it comes to those who need her help," Naruto chided, tucking both hands behind his head where he stood.

"Shut it dobe," Sasuke growled, crimson clashing with amber.

"Hey, I'm not the one who caves every time to she bats her eyes and uses –kun," Naruto teased, clearly ignoring Sasuke's annoyance.

Sasuke snorted, thinking back to any and every occasion where Sakura had paid him the tiniest bit of attention and Naruto had melted into a puddle of 'push-over.' However, he knew bringing this up would only prompt more annoyance from Naruto and all he really wanted to do was get out of this place. Thus, he opted to bite his tongue and glare at the blond in front of him.

"She just wants to help them, that's all. Once we get out of here, we'll all feel bet-" the words died in Naruto's mouth, his head whipping in the direction of Kakashi's position.

"What is it?" Sasuke's form off the wall, tense, and ready for battle.

"I dunno. I just felt this weird…_shit_! We've got company!" Naruto hollered, racing past him and towards the rear of the group.

Sasuke was torn. His number one and _only_ priority was Sakura's safety and leaving the head of the group left and opening for whatever decided to come down through the exit ahead, but he was faster than Naruto and more agile than Kakashi. Eliminating whatever the threat was as quickly as possible insured Sakura's safety remained.

When the group began screaming and arms and bodies blurred together as they attempted to move as far away from whatever approached them, Sasuke immediately took him place at Sakura's side.

"Go help them!" Sakura yelled; her face full of panic.

"My duty is to your safety," Sasuke grit out, attempting to convince not only her, but also himself.

"Sasuke, the threat is back _there_," Sakura's arm flew in the direction behind her, index finger pointing accusingly, "I'm _fine_. Get your ass back there and help them!"

Sasuke hesitated. He knew he could help, possibly even keep harm from coming to his teammates, but he had sworn to protect Sakura and that was what he had to do.

"If you won't go, _I will_, and then you'll have no choice," Sakura hiss, ushering Sasuke with both of her petite hands.

"Don't do _anything_," Sasuke commanded, glaring into her full, jade eyes.

"I won't, I promise, just go _help_ them," Sakura pleaded.

Sasuke nodded and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

...

**A/N:** Long chapter, but it came naturally. Enjoy!

FYI, for those who aren't quite sure what's going on with Naruto's eyes; _yes_ Naruto has blue, sapphire, cerulean, and any other shade of blue you would like to use, however, when I mention his yellow, amber, etc. colored eyes and 'bar-like pupils,' I am and referring to Naruto when he is using 'sage mode.' Just in case anyone was confused.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 3

As the last head rolled and came to an abrupt stop against Sasuke's blood-splattered, black boots, he used a dirty rag to wipe the blood from his blade. Tossing the rag on the ground, inadvertently covering the face of the decapitated head resting against his boots, he sheathed his chokutō.

His calm actions a violent contrast to Kakashi's as he nearly ripped the material of Sasuke's shirt. Kakashi's Sharingan pupil spinning wildly as his eyes bore into Sasuke's, he held the young man firmly by the collar of his shirt.

"What the _hell_ are you doing back here? You're in charge of protecting Sakura," Kakashi's tone dangerously cool.

"The threat was behind us and the most efficient way to ensure she is protected is to eliminate whatever threatens her as quickly as possible," Sasuke stated matter-of-factly.

"Then how exactly are you able to _protect_ her if you are not _with_ her?" Kakashi countered, his grip growing tighter with each passing second.

Sasuke remained taciturn, knowing that every word from Kakashi's mouth was the truth. He had been having the same argument in his head the entire time he was helping his teammates, justifying his actions with the ideal that efficiently eliminating the enemy confirmed Sakura's safety.

"Naruto," Kakashi's glare never leaving Sasuke's placid expression, "do you sense _anything_ else up ahead?"

Sasuke may have held a calm exterior, but inside he was falling apart. If anything was up ahead, if anything managed to sneak up on them while they had been removing the threats lying at their feet, if _anything_ happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

Naruto remained quiet, a feat all of its own, for several moment. Sasuke could feel himself losing it, his eyes slowly becoming shades of maroon.

"It's clear. Sakura's chakra keeps spiking, but that's prolly from worryin' about us," Naruto made sure to mention.

Sasuke took a deep breath through his nose, oxygen filling is stilled lungs, and reached up to remove Kakashi's vice grip from his shirt.

"Don't _ever_ do something so stupid again," Kakashi reprimanded, allowing Sasuke to loosen his hold.

"Tch, like you need to tell me," Sasuke grumbled, pissed at himself for allowing Sakura to talk him into leaving her side, completely unprotected, and pissed at himself for actually doing just that.

"Apparently…I do," Kakashi's tone coming out breezily.

...

The three hastily returned to the group, relief not truly washing over them until they saw their pink haired teammate busily trying to keep everyone calm. The moment their bodies descended from the shadows that fell between each dimly lit, industrial ceiling light, Sakura's head snapped up.

Her fiery eyes immediately softened and she stood, examining each of them for any signs of abrasions. Kakashi was the first to approach her, nodding ahead of them, Naruto and Sasuke following closely behind.

"Make it quick, but I want you standing here so we block their view," Kakashi whispered softly, directing Sakura where to stand.

Bobbing her head in acknowledgement, Sakura brought one hand to Kakashi's temple, the other resting over his heart. Naruto and Sasuke both leaned against opposite walls, facing each other, as not to bring about any suspicion. However, even with Kakashi standing in front of her, a faint green glow filled the walls of the hallway where they stood.

Through hooded eyes, Naruto and Sasuke scanned the group. No one seemed to notice the interaction; all of them too busy relishing the fact that no one had been harmed in the ambush, all of them, except the silver haired doctor.

Kakashi came to between Naruto and Sasuke, attracting their attention, and Kakashi gave a quick glance in Naruto's direction. Understanding the non-verbal order, Naruto pushed himself off the wall and waltzed over to Sakura. Again placing her one hand on Naruto's temple, the other over his heart, Sakura's hands emitted light.

"He seems to have an unhealthy fascination with our pink haired colleague," Kakashi said as casually as if he were simply asking for the time.

"Naruto and I have already taken note," Sasuke's words were clipped.

"Good, that's good. Keep a close eye on him. Make sure she's never alone with him. He's not going to try anything with all of us in a group. You are not to leave her side once we get back to camp…for _any_ reason," Kakashi accentuated his last statement, earning a glare from Sasuke's scarlet eyes.

Naruto returned to his position against the wall, causing Sasuke to gracefully stand from his leaning position and walk over to the girl who barely reached his shoulders. Resisting the urge to close his eyes when Sakura's soft fingers touched his temple, he glared over the top of her head.

"Sorry," Sakura's words came in barely a whisper.

Sasuke never moved, clamping his teeth shut, the bones of his jaw becoming more prominent against his skin as he did so.

"I shouldn't have threatened you like that. You have your duty and I have mine. I shouldn't have forced you to go against-"

"You can't _force_ me to do anything. My job is to protect you and I did so at the cost of leaving your side. It will never happen again," Sasuke's tone harsh as the words left figurative gashes across her heart.

Sakura's eyes fell from his face to focus at a speck of blood that had managed to land on the front of his shirt. Her chakra faltered slightly, for a split second, however it did not go unnoticed by the two behind them.

Sasuke knew Sakura was taking longer to check him than she had Kakashi or Naruto, but he reasoned that it was because of her guilt that she was being so thorough. It wasn't until he felt a tingling sensation across his bicep that he glanced down at Sakura.

Her breathing was slightly heavier than normal, her face scrunched in concentration, and a light sheen of sweat was illuminated across her skin by the light from her hands. When the green hue flickered slightly before going out altogether, Sasuke realized she wasn't _just_ being thorough.

She looked up, giving him a half-hearted smile, "I neutralized the infection and healed your wound. Let me know if you feel like something is off."

Sasuke slowly nodded his head and Sakura could have registered the shock in his expression, had she not been more concerned with giving Sasuke his space after being the cause of his soured mood. Not only had he been wounded, but with all the blood-splatter, he had been infected.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, he's pissed at himself, not you," Sasuke heard Naruto's voice float around behind him.

"What are you talking about Naruto, I'm fine," he could hear the faked smile in her words.

The problem with Sakura's statement was that Naruto hadn't asked her what was wrong. Sasuke schooled his expression, covering his face with the fringe of his bangs.

"Sasuke-teme, you're officially a bigger idiot than me," Naruto said, brushing past Sasuke, taking lead of the group.

Sasuke couldn't agree more.

...

Karin was beyond confused. Not only did they leave the tunnels underneath the hospital, because they were deemed unsafe according to the quartet that had suddenly appeared, but now they were sitting in the middle of the desolate countryside, outside of town with only a small, dead group of trees to provide cover.

It made no sense whatsoever. How could they possibly be safer out here? To her, it seemed like they were sitting ducks, waiting for an ambush from all sides. Not only that, but should they actually _be _ambushed, the screams would only attract all others in the area to them. She shuddered to think what would happen if this theory became reality.

Glancing over, she checked on her savior, the one she felt safest around as she literally owed her life to him. He was standing a few feet away from the girl in their group, watching over her like a predator would his prey.

Karin wasn't going to pretend she knew the first thing about this Sasuke person, but she felt drawn to him in the simplest of ways; survival. The fact that she also found him attractive was strictly bonus, but attraction was something that people these days can't afford. Attraction, whether it be one-sided or mutual, only caused heartache and anguish down the road. In the world they lived in now, it was every man, woman, and child for themselves.

That thought being realized, it was also painfully obvious to her that Sasuke's attention solely revolved around the green-eyed girl hovering above her hospital patients. He was her shadow. Anywhere that Sakura went, Karin could find Sasuke not far behind.

The other two teammates would come and go, as they had explained when they arrived that while traps had been set, they would scout the area from time to time just to ensure everyone's safety. Karin could only guess what these 'traps' consisted of, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know, she just hoped that whatever they were would be enough to keep the infected away.

Karin huffed, uncrossing and re-crossing her ankles over top of each other in annoyance. She hated the way she thought of them, the infected, now. They had been people once…they were still _people_ she supposed, though in the most loose sense of the word. She wasn't sure she could consider them such anymore. Once the virus took hold, it was only a matter of time before a person became one of _them_.

"Is this all the ill?" Sakura asked Juugo, standing close by.

"Yes, I believe so," Juugo replied; doing a quick headcount.

"Alright, let's get started then," she dusted the dirt from her hands and placed them on her hips.

Eying each patient carefully, Karin watched and Sakura apparently sized each sickly individual up.

"What are we doing? We have no equipment, not enough utensils or sterilization materials to perform any sort of tests, and no way of being able to tell how far along their infection has progressed without proper blood analysis," Juugo stated utterly perplexed.

Sakura seemed unfazed by Juugo's stating the obvious. She just continued looking over each patient, silently evaluating them.

"Suigetsu-san, you brought all of their medical charts with you, right?" Sakura turned to her left and asked.

"Yeah, they're right-"

"Great," Sakura cut in, "according to their last evaluation, could you please go through the charts so that we can line people up according to the progression of the infection?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Suigetsu replied and began going through the charts while Sakura moved people where she wanted them.

Once everyone was in place, Sakura sat across from them on a rotted tree stump, examining their charts. Suigetsu and Juugo busied themselves with using simple thermometers to check each patient's temperature.

Karin's curiosity getting the better of her, stood from the rusted lawn chair she sat on, and made her way to sit beside Sakura. As she approach, she glanced towards Sasuke, who was already glaring back at her and visibly more tense than a moment ago. She gave him a weak smile, hoping it explained that she only wished to speak with the girl in his charge.

When Sakura heard the crunching of Karin's heeled boots on the rocky, cracked ground, she peered up at her from behind the charts she was flipping through, offering a genuine smile.

"Hi," Sakura said quietly.

"Hey," Karin replied awkwardly, settling beside her.

"So…I uh, never got to thank you for earlier, though I'm not sure exactly what happened," Karin continued.

"It's the least I could do," Sakura murmured, her gaze returning to the charts in her lap.

Karin spared another peek at Sasuke, arms crossed over his chest, still scowling at her. He obviously did not like Karin sitting beside her, but having done nothing to offend him, Karin couldn't figure out why.

"Your boyfriend is really protective," Karin tried not to grumble, not enjoying the glare she could feel on her back.

"Excuse me?" Sakura's eyes lifting from the paper to stare at Karin in absolute confusion.

"Your boyfriend," Karin tilted her head slightly to the left, motioning to Sasuke.

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," Sakura smiled honestly.

"Ah," Karin cleared her throat, slightly embarrassed at her misassumption, "Sorry, I just assumed."

"It's okay, no harm done," Sakura bobbed her pink hair from side to side, still smiling.

"So he just follows you around then?" Karin asked, even more curious than when she first sat beside the girl.

"Yeah, you could call it his…job, I guess," Sakura fumbled with her words.

"Must be burdensome," Karin spoke before she had the chance to bite her words back.

Sakura's body grew rigid. Karin, realizing her mistake, desperately tried to think of a way to rephrase her blunder.

"I didn't mean…what I meant was being in charge of someone's safety, it must be hard. Especially with the world having gone to hell and all…" Karin sensed Sakura relax a tad.

"It is burdensome. I hate that he has to…" Sakura caught herself before finishing her initial thought, "I'm grateful to Sasuke for everything he's done for me."

"We're losing daylight," Sasuke's sharp tone interrupted any further thoughts Karin had.

He had somehow managed to move and stand beside Sakura without Karin noticing. Sakura looked up at him and nodded, setting the charts on the ground, and stood. Moving swiftly over to Juugo and Suigetsu, Sakura's lips began moving, but Karin couldn't decipher what they were discussing.

Karin knew she should've just kept her mouth shut. Now she just had more questions. These people were otherworldly. They didn't act like they belonged in this devastated environment, not that any of them did, but after living a decade in constant fear, Karin and the rest of the generations had become accustomed to such a lifestyle. These people acted as if they were on some sort of excursion, randomly appearing and now ready to move on.

Karin hypothesized that Sakura may be some sort of yakuza member's daughter, but threw that theory out with the realization that more likely than not, there weren't any yakuza members still alive. There's also the fact that money and drugs have no real value left in the world they live in now. The government had collapsed, so being any sort of political head or the daughter of one didn't make sense either. Karin rationalized several other theories, but none of them could explain Sakura, her 'bodyguard,' or the other two that traveled with them.

"I owe you my thanks too," Karin said, looking up at the dark haired man still standing beside the unoccupied seat next to her, "Actually, I owe the fact that I'm still breathing to you."

"Saving your life was a mere consequence of protecting Sakura. You owe me nothing," Sasuke's voice boomed in Karin's ears, despite how quietly he spoke.

Uncrossing his arms and casually stepping over the stump at his feet, Sasuke moved closer to Sakura's side without so much as sparing Karin a glance.

Karin heaved a shaky breath. Their first conversation could have gone better, but she wasn't expecting him to be quite so callous. She would have much rather him ignored her than be so brutally honest. Pursing her lips, watching how Sasuke's eyes never left Sakura's form, even as she hopped between Juugo and the patients, Karin couldn't help but be a little envious. It's not that common to find someone who isn't only concerned for themselves. Sasuke's devotion to Sakura's safety was something Karin couldn't identify with. In fact, it only pissed her off, because it wasn't but a few hours ago that she had been abandoned by Kabuto and left to the mercy of those chasing after them. Sasuke was definitely someone to admire and Sakura one to be jealous of.

"I'm all set," Sakura's high voice broke through Karin's thoughts.

As if on cue, Naruto appeared beside Sasuke, seemingly out of thin air.

"Alright," Sakura turned her back to Karin, looking over the ill, "My name is Haruno Sakura. What I'm about to do might feel a bit strange, but I promise if you can just endure, you _will_ feel better."

A soft murmur fell amongst the patients, none of them sure whether to trust the small girl's words, for the doctors in the midst of them hadn't been able to make them feel any 'better.' What could this girl possible do or possess that could help them? They were dying, a virus killing them from the inside, and all they could do was wait for the inevitable to happen.

"If you can all sit patiently, I promise to get to each of you as soon as possible," Sakura finished, kneeling before the first patient.

He was an older man, in his early fifties, and the infection he grew within had barely made it into the first stage. Sakura placed one hand on the man's temple, the other over his heart. When her hands began to grow green the man flinched, surprised by the tingling sensation that vibrated through his body. It took only a few moments and the light from Sakura's hands dimmed. She removed her hands and the man stared into her jade green eyes in awe.

"How do you feel?" Sakura asked softly.

"…good," the man managed to whisper.

"You're no longer infected, although, you need to make sure to drink more water when the opportunity arises. You're terribly dehydrated from your fever," Sakura finished, smiling widely.

"I'm cured?" The man's voice disbelieving.

Sakura nodded her head, pink hair brushing her elbows as she did so. Within seconds, the patients erupted from their seats, desperately reaching for Sakura. While Naruto kept a majority of the group at bay, Sasuke ripped her up from her kneeling position on the ground and stuffed her behind him; his chokutō poised and ready to slash down anyone who dared reach past him.

"Sasuke, it's okay, they're just desperate," Sakura gripped his upper arm shakily.

"And desperate people do irrational things," Sasuke spat back, glaring fiercely at the sickly in front of him.

Removing herself from Sasuke's protective form, Sakura softly spoke to the group, "_Please_, I can't help anyone unless you sit down. I can heal you, but only if you remain calm."

Eventually, everyone returned to their seating arrangements. Sakura began making her way down the line, healing those with the earliest stages of the virus first, saving the more seriously infected for last. Karin, moving to stand beside Juugo and Suigetsu when the first patient had been cured, watched in complete astonishment.

Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo, and Kabuto had worked and failed for ten years trying to create a cure. Days and nights had been spent creating new, intricate chemical compounds that might counteract the effects of the virus and every single one of them had failed. They had science, technology, and knowledge on their side and this girl was curing their patients by the touch of her hands. None of them could formulate the words that would express their amazement. They could only watch as Sakura healed and cured nine of their twelve patients.

"Sakura," Sasuke kneeled beside Sakura, placing his large, calloused hand in the middle of her back.

Sakura was leaning over, resting her hands on her knees. Her already crouched form looked even smaller as she breathed heavily. Her head hung limply, eyes closed, and sweat dripped from her skin like rain.

"I'm…fine," Sakura breathed.

"You're out of chakra. You need to rest," Sasuke's tone soft.

"I said I'm fine," Sakura opened her eyes and barely managed to turn her head to glare at him.

"No you're not. They can wait until later. Let your levels replen-"

"If they aren't healed now, there won't _be _a later for them," Sakura grit out. Returning her gaze to the ground beneath her knees, Sakura breathed deeply, "Naruto."

Sasuke's head shot up to the blond standing on the other side of Sakura, "_No_," Sasuke hissed.

"It's my decision Sasuke," Sakura replied firmly.

"Don't you dare," Sasuke gripped Naruto's wrist as he placed it on Sakura's slumped shoulder.

"You think I _enjoy_ this part?" Naruto growled.

"Sakura they're not worth it," Sasuke's glare now directed towards the three dying patients in front of them.

"It's _my_ decision," Sakura repeated.

Biting the back of her hand and nodding her head, signaling to Naruto that she was ready, the blond shook off Sasuke's hold and gently placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder. Sasuke watched with a schooled expression as red, bubbling chakra flowed from Naruto's form, through his hand, and into Sakura's body. He only tore his gaze away when he noticed the blood dripping between Sakura's teeth; a silent scream filling her, only being able to keep the scream from spilling past her teeth by sinking her them deeper into the skin of her hand.

...

**A/N:** Yakuza refers to organized crime syndicates in Japan, i.e. gangs. Info found here: en. wikipedia wiki/Yakuza [remove spaces around wikipedia]


	5. Chapter 4

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 4

After the initial shock of the day's earlier events had worn off, Karin and her fellow doctors sat by themselves, away from everyone in the hopes of coming to a logical explanation of what had happened. All twelve _formally_ ill patients were now cured. The more seriously ill still a bit weak and exhausted from their ordeal, but the virus no longer plagued their bodies.

Karin stared through the space between Juugo and Suigetsu at the pink haired girl fast asleep on a pallet of dirty blankets. It made sense now, the tingling feeling she experienced when she first met the girl. Sakura was checking her for infection while attempting to soothe her exhaustion and it had worked. Karin _still_ felt more rested than she had in years.

"I just don't get it," Suigetsu raked his fingers through his white hair, "I mean…what the hell _is_ she?"

"I cannot say," Juugo replied tiredly.

"Where's that bastard Kabuto? He's been MIA since the chick-a-dee cured everyone," Suigetsu scanned every face in search of their fourth colleague.

Karin didn't bother with worrying over him. For all she cared, the bastard could fend for himself against a horde of infected. Her eyes still trained on Sakura, sound asleep, she roved her gaze until she found Sasuke propped against a tree nearby. He sat with one knee bent, the sheath of his sword against his shoulder, and head bent in what Karin could guess was his attempt at sleep.

"I suppose you all would like an explanation," Kakashi appeared out of nowhere, blocking Karin's view between Juugo and Suigetsu.

"What tha' hell man," Suigetsu jumped from his seat, startling several of the others in the group.

Kakashi moseyed past the two men, settling on the ground near Karin, bracing himself up against the log she sat on, and pulling out a suspicious looking orange book. Karin eyed the book for a moment, not sure she wanted to know what the contents inside consisted of, and brought her gaze back to a pair of onyx eyes.

Karin's eyes widened fractionally when she realized that Sasuke was staring back at her. Her face flushing, she immediately removed her eyes from his and back to Kakashi's book.

"So…why don't we start with the basics shall we? As you are well aware, we are not…_normal_ travelers," Kakashi began, flipping a page in the bright orange book he held, "our female teammate, Sakura, has…unique abilities."

"I wouldn't call being able to cure a virus that has plagued mankind for the past decade a unique ability. I would call it a miracle," Suigetsu thought aloud.

"Yes…well…we have been sent to help any we can and…_dispose_ of the rest," Kakashi chose his words carefully.

"What do you mean _dispose of_, why doesn't she just heal them like she did everyone here," Karin's tone curt with how easily Kakashi threw aside those infected.

"Well, you see, Sakura can only cure the living; those who have a majority of their higher brain function intact. She can heal the lesser complex organs, the heart, liver, lungs, etcetera. Even you, as doctors, know that a person can have a heart valve replaced, other organs replaced entirely, however the brain is only something Kami can heal," Kakashi elaborated.

"So your saying once an infected person surpasses the third stage of the virus, there's no hope for them?" Karin's much softer than before.

"According to Sakura's ability, yes. Once the virus reanimates the person, there is nothing she can do but cure those that the infected attack. They are virtually brain dead, being driven by the most primal, subconscious urges mankind discerns," Kakashi flipped another page in his book.

"Chow time," Suigetsu understood what Kakashi was dodging.

Kakashi paused in his reading to glance up at the trio, nodded his head, and resumed his skimming. Flipping another page or two in silence, Kakashi suddenly popped the book closed and set it beside him.

"Which brings me to the main topic of this conversation. Sakura, as well as others we are acquainted with, are able to heal those in even the farthest stages of the infection, but once the patient dies, there is nothing more they can do. _You_ on the other hand might be able to be of some use after all the destruction you've caused," Kakashi didn't bother to sugarcoat his disdain, "While Sakura and others can keep more infected from…rising, it's the ones who have been _revived_ that are our real problem."

"What are you suggesting, Kakashi-san?" Juugo had taken the bait, as well as Karin and Suigetsu who were leaning in much closer than before.

"Our leader has a proposition for you. Our village is two or three days travel from here, but should you decide to accept her proposal, you just might find redemption for your past deeds," Kakashi spoke breezily as he stood.

"You seem to know everything about us, but all we've gathered from you is that the Sakura girl can cure people with her hands and the other three of you follow her around. Who are you guys?" Suigetsu's eyes turned to slits, obviously not happy with the lack of information Kakashi had given them.

They already knew how the infection worked. They were the ones who caused it to happen when their test subjects from the cure-all, ZIAS, started transmitting whatever virus they incubated over the years onto others. They knew that whatever awoke after stage three of the infection was not a person, not a human, any longer. They were responsible for _everything_. Why else would they have spent the past ten years of their lives desperately surviving, finding as many with the pre-stages of the infection as they could, in the hopes of developing a cure?

"All will be explained in due time. I have told you all that I am able to. Should things go according to plan, our leader will decide whether or not to fill in the rest of the blanks for you," Kakashi answered, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his baggy pants, "Oh, and your friend said he was going to search the area for any medicinal plants and food stuff. Apparently he is unsatisfied with the crackers and water we are able to provide," and he drifted over to the sleeping girl.

Karin's face immediately shot between Juugo and Suigetsu. Kabuto _never_ volunteered to do _anything_.

…

As soon as the sun broke over the horizon, the group began to move. The night had been calm for the most part. No fires were allowed to be lit, the group was to stay as close together as possible in the middle of camp, and no one was to speak louder than a whisper. Occasionally they would see a streak of silver or gold dashing in a certain direction, but they could never be sure if the dark was playing tricks on their eyes.

Sakura had awoken, due to a very persistent Sasuke, and was now walking next to her silent teammate at the front of the group. Naruto was scouting ahead while Kakashi guarded the rear of the group. As Karin examined the girl, a new understanding of what exactly she is capable of after their conversation with Kakashi last night, still finding it hard to believe that such a person could exist. Then again, she had witnessed the phenomenal speed at which the other three moved, but that did not baffle her as much as the girl did.

Adjusting her glasses, a glint in her eyes, Karin was determined to find out more about the people they were traveling with. Being a doctor and scientist, curiosity never suited her. She always felt more comfortable when she knew everything there was to know about the subject at hand and she always needed solid, tangible proof for the unexplainable. If it couldn't be proven through theory and testing, then it just wasn't something Karin could believe existed. Quickening her pace, Karin made her way beside Sakura, on the opposite side of Sasuke.

"So…the whole curing people thing you can do really tires you out, huh?" Karin asked, willing herself not to flinch from the sharp stare Sasuke sent her.

"Was it that obvious?" Sakura embarrassed by how she must have looked the day before.

Karin just gave a weary smile, hoping Sakura would continue talking if the conversation was left open.

"It's not tiring just healing minor cuts and bruises, or even a slight infection, cold, fever, those sorts of things. What really drains my chakra is when I have to repair internal organs, go through each of those organs and make sure I remove every bit of the infection causing the damage, and make sure that my chakra doesn't disrupt the person's natural chakra network all at once. It takes an immense amount of physical and mental concentration to make sure I remain neutral while healing at the same time," Sakura explained.

"Um, chakra?" Karin was genuinely curious.

"Oh, sorry," Sakura smiled, realizing Karin was unfamiliar with the term, "Chakra can be found in everyone, but the amount depends on how well trained the person is to use it. The chakra circulatory system, their network, is what distributes chakra through the person's body. It's very similar to how a person's blood is spread through their circulatory system."

While the explanation seemed simple, and having knowledge of the circulatory system as reference, Karin had a hard time believing in this 'chakra network' business. She had studied through hundreds of medical textbooks and never had there been any sort of mention of chakra.

"So this…chakra stuff is what allows you to heal people?" Karin questioned, trying to grasp their conversation.

"It does," Sakura affirmed.

"And if everyone has chakra, then why can't I heal people the same way you do?" Karin tried to sound more curious than skeptical.

Sakura smiled wider, "You're quick. While everyone has chakra, as I mentioned before, you have to be trained to use it. Chakra has to be molded and manipulated to the users need. It sounds simple, but it takes years of practice and continuous usage to perfect the control needed to use chakra to heal people."

"How old are you?" Karin asked before she could stop herself.

"I'll be seventeen in March," Sakura replied.

"Seventeen? How long have you been training to use your chakra?" Karin had a hard time imagining anyone studying harder than what she had to become a doctor. Eight years of college, four of those as an intern under Orochimaru, on top of the thirteen spent in public school, of blood sweat and tears had finally earned her the pieces of paper she needed to work in a hospital.

"All of my life," Sakura interrupted Karin's inner praise monologue.

At this, Karin literally gawked at Sakura. Maybe this whole chakra stuff was a little more complex than Sakura was making it sound? Karin reigned in her jaw and adjusted her glasses yet again. In her shock, Karin completely missed the small, proud smile that Sasuke let slip over his features.

…

"Has Sakura-chan even noticed how hard that creepy bastard has been staring at her?" Naruto asked, stepping beside Sasuke as the group set up camp for the night in the kitchen of a dilapidated dine-in restaurant.

"It's Sakura," Sasuke replied, as if it explained everything in the world.

"Right; and people say I'm oblivious. Even if she has she won't say anything. She's too kind," Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Ah," Sasuke agreed.

Even if Sakura had noticed Kabuto's watchful gaze, like Naruto said, she wouldn't bother any of them with it. She's too concerned with the fact they are in charge of her safety during their excursion to risk 'burdening' them further. It didn't matter what they told her, she would feel like a burden until they were able to get back to the village and her safety was no longer an issue.

"What about the chick?" Naruto asked, aware of how Karin approached Sakura twice now.

"Just seems curious," Sasuke replied.

Naruto nodded. He couldn't blame them. It's not every day that a group of people defy every medical and scientific fact known to them; healing people with their hands, superhuman speed and strength, and the many other abilities the group had yet to see. Naruto was surprised they weren't being asked where they kept their cape and tights.

A tense silence fell over the duo. Naruto knew Sasuke was still pissed at him, at Sakura too. He hadn't really spoken to either of them since Sakura requested his help when she was healing the infected. Naruto furrowed his brows. Sasuke had no right to be mad at him. He was just doing his 'job.' Sakura needed him and he wasn't going to let her down.

"Is she alright?" Naruto jerked his thumb in Sakura's direction.

Sasuke watched her for a moment; one of the younger girls decorating the braid she had made in Sakura's hair with twigs and dried leaves. Had he not been in such a sour mood, he might have actually allowed himself to scoff at Sakura's naïvety.

Talking a gracious breath in through his nose, Sasuke cut Naruto a sideward glance, "She seems to be."

"Just so you know, I hate my job," Naruto stood beside Sasuke seriously.

Sasuke couldn't help but drop his tension a bit in resignation. Naruto approached Sakura without hearing Sasuke's whispered words, "_Me too_."

…

Many of the recently treated were sleeping soundlessly on the cracked, cold tile floor. Despite the lack of sleep furnishings, the idea that the quartet could provide them the safety and protection, allowed them one of the first most pleasurable rests they had been able to enjoy in years.

Naruto was set up on the roof, his golden eyes scanning the empty highway they had been traveling along. Kakashi, hidden away in what little foliage there was left alive, kept his distance from the restaurant, ready to ambush any ambushees.

There was a generous amount of propane left in the grill's propane tank; people no longer lavishing in the luxury of someone else cooking their meal. Sakura sat close to the grill, the steel contraption providing her warmth and light, watching over the sleeping in front of her.

A ribbon of black material obscured her vision and Sakura looked up to see Sasuke's outline, the light casting a shadow over the left side of his face. Returning her gaze to the ribbon, it writhed in the air as Sasuke encouraged her to take it.

"For your wound," he explained, annoyed with Sakura's confusion.

"Oh, uh, I healed it already, thanks," she replied, lifting her unblemished hand into the light for him to see.

Without a word, Sasuke carefully folded the material and tucked it back into the pocket of his pants. Sakura simply smiled at the gesture, so like Sasuke to demand something than ask, but said nothing more. Had she not been so depleted of her chakra after having healed the sick, the wound would have been taken care of immediately, but it was still nice that he had noticed the tattered material she had kept wrapped around her hand until she felt comfortable enough to rid herself of its inconvenience.

"Don't be mad at him," Sakura's eyes fell to the dirty tile she sat upon.

"Hn," Sasuke's indication that she had no right to tell him how to feel.

"You can be mad at me, but you can't be mad at Naruto," her eyes shooting him a glare.

"Sakura," he said her name quietly. It was the tone he used when telling her to stop her rant before it began.

"Sasuke," Sakura challenged.

He sighed in further annoyance at Sakura's immaturity. The age difference between them sometimes seemed so much greater than three years when she acted this way.

"I'm not mad," Sasuke began.

"And you're a liar," Sakura countered.

Sasuke's squatted before her, staring her right in the eyes.

"I am _not_ a liar. Being mad would insinuate that I care-"

"Which you do," Sakura interrupted.

Sasuke let out a breath that sounded more of a growl, "-_that I care_ about the dobe. You're my charge, not that blond idiot."

"So are you saying you care about me or that you only care about making sure you're given a pat on the back for 'successfully completing your mission?'" Sakura replied mockingly.

Sasuke had to fight the urge to run his hand down his face. Sakura was the only girl…teenager…young woman that could get under his skin in such a way. Then again, he also had to place blame on himself because he _allowed _her to do so. He cared about Sakura. She was his teammate; of course he cared for her safety. The fact that he was _in charge_ of that safety during this mission was only a detail. He cared for the dobe too, however, _that_ fact he would not even inadvertently admit.

"The dobe transferring his chakra into you was foolish. Your reserves were depleted. Those people could have waited. That moron's chakra-"

"-is unpredictable and too immense even for Naruto to handle sometimes. I know," Sakura waved her hand in a dismissing notion, "but that's Naruto's duty and a chance every healer has to take, that _I_ have to take. Those people deserve to live just as much as you and I. Besides, Naruto's gotten better at controlling the Kyuubi. I trust him."

Sakura's honest eyes were enough to silence Sasuke from arguing further. There was no point. She believed her actions were justified, no matter how irrational he considered them. It wouldn't matter what argument he presented, he would not change her mind or keep her from doing so again, given the circumstance.

"Get some sleep. We have another long day tomorrow," Sasuke stood and stated indifferently.

Feeling more frustrated than he had before he approached her, Sasuke stalked off, only pausing mid-step when Sakura's soft words drifted to his ears.

"I trust you too, ya' know…"

…

**A/N: **In case anyone would be interested, I have a new wordpress account. You don't have to have a wordpress account to receive updates I make on fanfcitions, an email address works as well! You can't visit my wordpress here: ** apenny12 ./** [remove spaces around 'apenny12'].

I am aware that Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, Karin, and Suigetsu are all the same age, Juugo being two years older, but for the purposes of my fanfic, I needed the doctors to be a bit older. Going to school to be a doctor takes at least eight years, if not more, so I couldn't very well have Karin, Sui, and Juugo being around twenty and full-fledged doctors. Also I wanted an age difference between Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to account for things that will be brought up later in the story. Thank you in advance for understanding!

All information on chakra and the chakra network can be found here: naruto. wikia wiki/Chakra (remove spaces)


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 5

The consequences of their already weakened bodies and the extensive physical exertion necessary to travel during the heat of day were beginning to take its toll on the group. They had a day and a half more to travel and they would be in the safe arms of their village, but at the rapid decrease in their pace and the necessity to stop and rest becoming more frequent, their trip could be dragged out for another half a day.

"Sasuke," it was just his name, but it held so much more meaning than he wanted.

"Again?" He hissed.

"Sasuke, they're still recovering. They're tired," her feather-soft voice taking it's motherly tone.

"We're too close to Kyoto. A prefecture that big…" Sasuke didn't want to finish his sentence.

"Then the sooner we stop, the farther away we are, and the sooner we can get moving again," Sakura reasoned.

There was no point in debating. Sakura had made up her mind that they were going to stop to rest, for the _fifth_ time this afternoon, before she even spoke his name.

"Fine, we'll set up in the clearing ahead," Sasuke gestured with a nod of his head, the rest of his thoughts, '_so at least they could see an ambush_,' staying on his tongue.

…

The group stayed huddled, making themselves as tight and minute as possible. It was easier to protect them that way. Due to the circumstances, even Sakura was circling the group, her green eyes scanning for any sort of movement in the distance.

"This is a bad idea," Naruto grumbled as he approached Sasuke, finishing his third round of recon.

Kakashi stayed in the distance, always watching; waiting.

"We've been here way too long. We need to get moving," Naruto said a little louder.

"I know," Sasuke's curt reply expressing how uncomfortable the situation was making him.

"What's the freakin' hold up then?" Naruto's boisterous voice taken down a notch more than normal, trying to be a quiet as possible.

"Just give them a few more minutes," Sakura hissed from the other side of the group.

"Sakura-chan, we're too close to Kyoto. We've been here too long. We _need_ to go," Naruto's normal happy-go-lucky attitude completely absent due to their situation.

"Naru-" Sakura began only for the rest of his name to die in her throat.

Sakura's head whipped behind her, her eyes scanning for the flux of chakra she had just felt. Naruto, picking up on Sakura's shift in attention, closed his eyes for a moment and focused his chakra. His cerulean colored eyes disappeared behind his eyelids and were quickly replaced with amber. Sasuke too allowed his eyes to bleed red, activating his kekkei genkai.

Naruto's hands flashed several hand signs; a clone swiftly 'poofing' beside him. With a nod the clone vanished, and Sasuke's stomach plummeted.

"We've got company," Sakura stated the obvious.

…

It had been a matter of minutes, but it had felt like hours, days even. Karin, nestled beside Suigetsu, Juugo, and much to her revulsion, Kabuto, had all been taking a much needed break from the never-ending walk required to reach this 'village' they were being escorted to. However, one minute they were relaxed, feeling safe, and the next, they were on red alert when their escorts noticed something they hadn't.

Karin watched in horror as the personalities of the three bickering went from mildly annoyed to completely on edge. Now, they were desperately looking towards those three for some sort of explanation. While they all knew what 'company' to expect, they were all desperately hoping it was a group of annoying raiders, heck they'd even be happy to stumble upon one of those cannibal tribes, as long as it wasn't a horde of _them_.

After Sakura spoke, the group had become deathly quiet, and had squeezed into an even tighter wad of arms, legs, and fearful expressions. Karin and the others had even resigned into feeling more comfortable suffocated than sitting off to the side by themselves.

"We're easy pickings," Suigetsu murmured, "With a big enough gang of those flesh-rotting creatures, these jokers will be overpowered and we'll be a full-course meal."

"Shut up Suigestsu," Karin hissed as the younger children shrank from his harsh words.

"Both of you, be quiet," Juugo's usually calm tone much tenser due to his anxiety, promptly silencing the coming dispute.

Kabuto sat quietly, watching the young girl and her two male accomplices with careless ease. He analyzed them in a way that made Karin cringe. His eyes seemed to dissect every part of their body, as if slicing them open would reveal some hidden mystery of their abilities. Karin had noticed that he paid a special amount of attention on the girl, Sakura. He stalked her with his eyes, never approaching her physically, but never straying out of eyesight.

He seemed eerily calm, despite the fact that they were in the middle of a field, practically defenseless, against a group of however many infected. While Karin was impressed with what she had witnessed from her rescuers, she was a realist, and she knew these people would only be able to do so much. Kabuto being so calm and unaffected by what was happening made her even more uncomfortable. It was almost as if he _knew_ something and was just biding his time for it to happen.

A puff of smoke, distorting into the shape of a man, broke Karin's analytical thoughts over Kabuto. Kakashi's tense form appeared from within the smoke beside Sakura and it was then Karin realized that the other two males had also managed to move beside the girl.

"How many?" Kakashi's tired voice came softly.

"A couple dozen, but more will come. By the time we dispose of them, there could be hundreds more attracted by the ruckus," came Sakura's faint a reply.

"Naruto, send a group ahead to dispose of as many as possible. Sasuke, ignite a barricade between us and them. They're coming from our left so if we can hold them off long enough to get the group a good distance away…Sakura…" Kakashi left his sentence unfinished.

Karin wasn't sure what exactly the rest of that sentence would have been, but the other three did as they nodded their heads and moved into various positions. Sakura immediately wheeled around to the group, calmly asking everyone to get up so they could get moving. Naruto flashed several yards away before standing still in the middle of the clearing. Karin thought him a mad man, facing dozens of the infected by himself, until she realized he wasn't _alone_. While she didn't have time to count them individually, this man became at least fifty, shattering everything they had and had yet to accomplish in genetic cloning.

As the blond haired clones scattered, Karin frantically searched for her dark savior. Finding him a few feet away, his hands moved too fast for her to see, before fire erupted from his mouth. Creating a semi-circle around them several yards wide, Karin recognized she was being herded away from the flames with the rest of the group.

Naruto had stayed behind, helping Sakura get everyone to their feet and on the move, while Kakashi lead the rest of his clones towards the unseen enemy. After creating the barrier, Sasuke too disappeared in the same direction as the blond clones, but Karin could still see him through the flames, staying back just a bit, _waiting_. It wasn't long before they broke through the tree line. Naruto had informed Sakura that they were coming before they could be seen.

"How many of your clones are left?" Sakura's voice grew more frantic.

"Maybe fifteen," Naruto answered with the same anxiety.

"Kakashi?" Sakura picked up a child and carried him to help move the group along.

"Still breathing," Naruto's answer seemed far too vague for even Karin to feel comfortable.

"Sasuke?" Sakura picked up another child, carrying one on each side as if they were a bag of flour.

"They just reached him," Naruto nodded his head behind him, helping one of the older women along.

Karin's wild eyes searched through the flames behind her. Sasuke's form was no longer visible over the flames.

"Kakashi's falling back to Sasuke's position. We'll move the group a little further, and then it's _your_ turn," Naruto's smile beamed despite the severity of their situation.

Karin heard Sakura grunt as she dropped the two kids she was carrying carefully to their feet and returned the smile. Their pace slowed, having successfully put space between themselves and the roaring flames, but Karin still felt the crazed adrenaline running through her. Despite how far away they were, the infected had not been completely eradicated and could still catch up to them. They weren't safe. They were still in danger and she couldn't, for the life of her, understand why Naruto and Sakura had become so calm.

"Can you keep them going?" Sakura asked as she pulled a pair of black gloves from her pocket.

"You bet," Naruto winked, "Sasuke and Kakashi should be heading this was any second."

Sakura nodded and in the blink of eye leaped from the ground; backtracking to where they had been resting.

"What is she _doing_?" Karin asked in horror.

"Don't worry. Sakura-chan will be fine. I can't say the same for them though," Naruto replied with a chuckle.

Karin's features twisted in horror. She couldn't understand why they had been placing so much emphasis on this girl's safety, only to leave her at the mercy of those who no longer could be called human.

In the same fashion as he had randomly appeared moments before, Kakashi was beside Naruto. He was bleeding, his clothes tattered in several areas where they had been torn by infected hands, and he looked far more tired than he had moment ago.

"Sakura-chan's ready Kakashi-sensei," Naruto smiled widely.

"Good. There's a lot more than we anticipated," Kakashi's breathy reply left Karin feeling his exhaustion.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said over his shoulder just as the young man appeared beside him, "give Sakura support…just in case."

The wrinkle of Kakashi's visible eye left Karin thinking that perhaps he was smiling under his mask. This only added to the disgusted feeling Naruto had given her. Even her leader and the man who was in charge of protecting her had no qualms with throwing her to the wolves. At this point, whatever their village leader had to say to them didn't matter. She wanted _nothing_ to do with these wicked people.

The group had stopped, waiting for what would happen next. Karin hugged herself, feeling just as useless as she had in the hospital's underground tunnels. There was nothing she could do to help the poor girl who had saved everyone infected and the people who she thought were protecting them had finally shed light on their malicious ways.

Kakashi's hand acted as a visor, covering his unmasked eye, and blocking the suns bright rays. Both Sasuke and Sakura were visible, but to Karin they only seemed like a pink and black speck on the horizon.

As if the horde chasing after them wasn't bad enough, panic manifested once more as the ground beneath their feet began to quake. People began dropping to their hands and knees, unable to balance themselves on the shaky soil. However, as quickly as the earthquake began, it stopped and everything was silent. The flames behind them could no longer be seen. Karin's eyes searched in disbelief. Not only had the flames disappeared, but the ground itself where they had been resting was all but existent. A sinkhole perhaps? It was plausible; the quake triggering the ground to cave, coincidentally taking all the infected with it. Karin squinted her eyes in skepticism. This sort of coincidence was just too…_convenient_.

…

Sakura's steady breathing was all Sasuke could hear as the dust clouded his vision. The groans and hisses of the infected could no longer be heard. The smell of burning grass had dissipated and replaced by the earthy scent of the dirt resettling. Sasuke heaved a sigh of relief, immediately regretting so when he felt a sharp pain in his side.

His left arm was completely useless, being burnt beyond recognition from the unwise decision to use Chidori a third time, during the fight. While his normal limit of two uses almost completely drained his chakra, he had managed to sloppily pull off a third attempt, taking part of his arm with the twenty or so infected he managed to disintegrate. His right arm, however, still firmly held his chokutō. He may have been running on reserves, but he didn't need chakra to effectively slice off one of those things head.

"Let's get back to the group and I'll fix you up while we get everyone going again," Sakura smiled, tenderly grasping the hem of what had once been his black shirt.

Sasuke nodded and allowed Sakura to take his chokutō from his hand and place it back in it's sheath. Without a word, Sakura placed herself under Sasuke's right arm, careful not to disturb the position of his left, and Sasuke felt the ground beneath his feet disappear. Sasuke felt Sakura's chakra flowing through him as she used a small amount to soften their landing.

"What tha' hell was all that about?" Suigetsu sneered, utterly confused at what had just taken place.

"We saved your ass…_again_," Naruto barked.

"What do you mean you saved our ass? We don't even know what the hell is going on!" Suigetsu hollered.

"Yes, I'm quite curious as to what just occurred myself," Kabuto added, addressing Naruto for the first time since their encounter in the panic room.

"Can't ya' just be grateful that we didn't let you become lunch and leave it at that," Naruto glared.

"Boys, boys, please calm down. This is not the time or place," Sakura smiled wearily, a green aura glowing around her hand as she healed Kakashi, "Suigetsu-san, what Naruto is trying to say is that we took care of the problem for the moment, but we can't stay here. More of them will come…_a lot_ more, and we're still a day away from our village."

Suigetsu grumbled something about getting tired of not knowing up from down, but dropped the subject.

"Good as new," Sakura patted Kakashi's chest.

"Thanks," Kakashi's reply much less weary then he had sounded earlier.

Sakura made her way to Sasuke, standing where she had initially landed them both, and carefully assessed his left arm.

"Jeez, were you _trying_ to amputate your arm," Sakura huffed, clearly not happy with the damage he manage to subject to the limb.

Sasuke eyed Sakura wearily, not impressed with her sarcasm, while he fought to keep his expression impassive despite the pain of Sakura's touch to the torched appendage.

"Sasuke…there's a lot of damage done here. I'm not sure-"

"Sakura," Sasuke sighed, "just do what you can."

"Fine, be an ass," Sakura bit out, "I'll finish whatever I can't here when we get back."

Had Sasuke been anyone else, he might have felt guilty enough to apologize, but he was who he was and he apologized to no one. The fact that he was in severe pain and utterly exhausted did nothing to help his disposition. He stared intently into Sakura's face, focusing on how her eyes narrowed and relaxed as she worked her way through Sasuke's network.

Trying to decipher what she was thinking was an easy enough distraction from his pain, until he realized that he was no longer ignoring the pain, but that it had disappeared altogether. A bead of sweat formed in Sakura's hairline, slowly descending down her temple, to her ample cheek. Sasuke reached up and deftly wiped the bead away with his thumb, resting his uninjured palm on her jawline. Sakura ceased chakra flow to her left hand long enough to swat his away from her face, glaring up at him for breaking her focus.

"I'm concentrating," she snapped, still annoyed with Sasuke.

Sasuke felt a change in Sakura's chakra. It was now soothing and less erratic. He smirked down at the top of her head. He may not have said it aloud, but Sakura knew him well enough to recognize that the gesture was as close to an apology as she would get from him.

…

Karin wasn't sure how to feel when the wooded area that would lead to their destination came into view. While she had accepted that she had misjudged the men escorting them, thinking they were leaving Sakura to act as some sort of distraction so they could get away, she wasn't comfortable with all their secrets. Being a doctor, a scientist, and a realist, she had a hard time believing anything that could not be physically proven through tests and observation.

These people were an enigma. They represented _everything_ she didn't believe in and they weren't willing to share any information that wasn't absolutely detrimental to their trip. The only comfort she would feel upon reaching this mysterious village, other than the obvious sanctuary it provided from the infected world around them, was the promise that all their questions would be answered by their village leader.

Karin's eyes flickered between Sasuke and Sakura. They walked beside each other, far enough apart to keep from brushing arms, but close enough that a person would not fit between them. She would admit to projecting a sort of hero complex onto Sasuke, one which he clearly did not accept or appreciate as he had been sure to inform her of earlier, but she still couldn't shake the idealistic pedestal she had placed him on. The more she was around him, the more he fascinated her. It helped that he was attractive, in a dark, stand-offish sort of way.

She sighed, thinking back to the intimate scene she had witnessed after the 'earthquake.' Sasuke's arm mangled beyond recognition and how Sakura seemed to so effortlessly _heal_ the wounds. The arm was still a reddish-pink color when she had finished, but to Karin it was a miracle. In her hospital, the arm would have been amputated. How was she supposed to compete with someone that could work miracles with her hands? Then there was the way Sasuke treated Sakura. She had his undivided attention at _all_ times. When she would sleep, Sasuke would watch her, as if her sleeping form calmed him. Wherever she went, he was only a step or two behind.

Even though Karin understood that this was a part of some important job Sasuke had been asked to perform, keep the pink haired, miracle worker alive at all costs, that still didn't account for how tenderly he had brushed her cheek while she was healing him. Karin wasn't petty enough to deny she was jealous. She would _love_ to have someone look at her the way he had Sakura in that moment. Sakura may have been too busy trying to save his arm to notice, but _she_ had and with what little she knew about this dark man, that gesture alone spoke volumes to her.

"THANK YOU KAMI!" Naruto hollered, throwing his hands in the air as two giant wooden doors opened before them.

"This is it?" Suigetsu inquired unimpressed, "_This_ is what we've been traveling for days for?"

The group looked around, feeling as if they had been teleported back in time. The buildings and homes we still fashioned in ancient architecture, the roads made of dirt, and people were _walking_. There were no cars, thus no street signals, and everything was so simple. From what they had experienced with the quartet, they had been expecting some alien like civilization, not _archaic_.

"You wanna' stay out here and see how long it is until you become one of _them_?" Naruto grumbled at the disrespect Suigetsu was unashamedly showing.

"We appreciate everything you all have done for us. We are just a bit surprised is all," Juugo quickly amended, glaring down at Suigetsu.

"Damn straight," Naruto lifted his chin in the air smugly.

"Naruto, escort the rest of the group to the hospital so they can receive any further treatment necessary. Sakura, Sasuke, and if the four of you would follow me," Kakashi spoke to the doctors in the group.

As they entered the village, Naruto and the rest of the travelers veered off on a side street, in what Karin assumed to be the road that led to the village hospital. She followed behind Suigetsu and Juugo, who in turn were following Kakashi, while Kabuto lagged behind. She knew Sasuke and Sakura were somewhere, perhaps behind Kabuto, but she wasn't brave enough to turn around and look.

They approached a building made of red clay, bamboo roofing, and tall, rectangular spikes that protruded from the tallest part of the building. A red emblem with a black character in the center adorned the building's front, but Karin was unfamiliar with the script and was unable to distinguish it's meaning.

Kakashi nodded to two men, at least Karin believed them to be men from their height and stature, dressed in white vests and masks. The masked figures opened the doors, allowing them inside the building. They hastily walked down several hallways, all simply decorated with pictures of unfamiliar people, up numerous stairs, until they stopped before a set of double, oak doors. Kakashi rapped lightly against one of the doors and a women's voice came from the other side. Kakashi opened the door, but did not enter, making it impossible for Karin to see inside.

"Hokage-sama, we've arrived for debriefing," Kakashi's respectful tone taking Karin a bit by surprise.

"Excellent, send them in," the women replied.

Karin suddenly felt extremely nervous. She had no idea what to expect from the other side of the door, especially with how much everyone here seemed to know about their involvement in creating ZIAS, but it was too late to turn back now. Karin entered the room and was met with a blond haired, brown eyed women sitting behind a mahogany desk. Her fingers were laced together, resting under her chin, and her eyes scanned the four of them as if she were looking for something.

When the women finally released them of her intense gaze to lean back in her seat and cross one knee over the other, Karin released the breath she had been holding. None of them spoke, waiting to see what judgment the women before them had passed. Taking a deep breath, the blond women gave them a razor smile and tapped her fingers across her desk in a steady rhythm.

"My name is Senju Tsunade. I am the Godaime Hokage, leader of this village. I welcome you to Konohagakure."

They all remained silent, hanging on her every word.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way, I have brought you here because I have a proposition for you. Would you like to hear it?"

Karin looked between Suigetsu and Juugo, the both of them looking to one another as well. What other choice did they have? They had been brought here with nowhere else to turn and no one else to turn to.

Taking the initiative, Karin stepped forward, "We would."

Tsunade smirked and Karin had a sinking feeling that she had just signed all of them a death warrant.

…

**A/N:** I know a lot of people are going to association my mention of Kyoto with Rurouni Kenshin, and those that don't, but just a bit of FYI; Kyoto _is_ an actual region in Japan. My reason for using Kyoto, rather than some other random prefecture, is because while the map of the world in Naruto is distinctly its own, I tried to overlay it with a map of Japan to get a general idea of where the Konoha might actually exist. This is just a rough approximation and I am in _no way_ saying Konoha is near Kyoto. This is simply the best I could do of blending real world and fictional as one.

I also realize that Tsunade's last name has never formally been mentioned, however there have been hints throughout , the manga...in chapter 386, I believe? It is mentioned that she is the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, therefore I took it upon myself to assume that her last name would also be Senju, since I am unsure of whether Tsunade's relationship to the third hokage is through her mother or her father.

Information can be found here: naruto. wikia wiki/Tsunade (remove spaces)


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 6

Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo, and Kabuto all stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the village's leader; their escorts standing idly behind them. After Karin accepted the opportunity to hear Tsunade's proposition, all oxygen seemed to have left the room, causing a stuffy, claustrophobic atmosphere to begin slowly suffocating them.

Tsunade had swiveled in her chair and was now staring out of the enormous bay windows that lined the back wall of her office. No one dared look around or even inhale any deeper than what was necessary to sustain them.

"Shishou…haven't they been through enough already," Sakura's soft tone completely dismantling the ominous aura in the room.

"Alright, alright. I never get to have even a little bit of fun anymore. It's all signing papers and making sure the outside world doesn't destroy itself," grumbled Tsunade.

Karin was caught completely off-guard. This woman behind the desk had come across as a cold, stern, and powerful leader, but hearing the quick banter between her and the rosy one behind them; she sounded more like a child being scolded by her mother. It was somewhat…entertaining.

Just before Tsunade began, a knock was heard on her office door, followed by the entrance of the loud blond who had accompanied them on their journey from the hospital, "Baa-chan, all of the survivors have been checked in."

Tsunade sent a glare in Naruto's direction and gave a curt nod, but otherwise ignored the intrusion. The boy settled himself on the other side of Sakura, sandwiching her between her two male teammates.

"My proposition is not to be taken lightly. While we obviously have the…_ability_ to eradicate the virus; we like to keep to ourselves. Our society has survived thousands of years, generation after generation, simply because the outside world has always been oblivious to our existence. When epidemics occur, such as the one now, we monitor the population and when our council deems it necessary, we send squads out to help contain the illness and bring back worthy civilians capable of bringing about a solution to what is plaguing their society," Tsunade began slowly, making sure that each word she spoke was taken with the weight it carried.

"You speak as if you do not include yourselves in the world in which we all live," Juugo stated calmly, having had a few moments to process what Tsunade had explained.

"You are precisely right. Our society has been blessed by Kami with abilities that 'normal' people cannot even begin to fathom; however that does not make us any less human. We still answer to the same Kami, when our time is up, as everyone else. We are just more...independent than the rest of the world," Tsunade answered, appreciating how quickly the doctors seemed to be catching on.

"I don't get it. If you can heal people, why _don't _you? I mean, think of all the suffering you could end. Think of all the people you could save. There would be no need for doctors because there would be no illnesses. People could live to their ripe, old age, and die naturally. I don't see any disadvantages to that. It makes your society just seem selfish, wanting to keep all your little tricks to yourselves," Suigetsu spat angrily.

Naruto, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout most of the discussion, flew from the wall. Had it not been for Sakura's quickly reflexes, gripping both of his arms in her small, strong hands, he would have likely succeeded in ripping Suigetsu's throat out.

"Bastard! You know _nothing_ about us," Naruto hissed.

Karin glanced back, taking note of Sasuke's tense form and the blood, red glare he was burning into Suigetsu.

"I can understand why you would think such things. I'm sure my apprentice," Tsunade's hand lifted from her desk to motion to Sakura behind them, "has indulged your curiosity on the tiniest levels, but allow me to explain in greater detail. You are aware of Sakura's ability to heal. She also is able to use the same energy, or chakra, to enhance her strength and speed. I'm sure you witnessed these attributes from her teammates. While chakra flows naturally in everyone; it can be depleted. We have quick, extremely painful remedies for replenishing our chakra when situations are desperate enough, but rest and nutrition are the most natural way to recuperate; the same as someone who was suffering from a cold would need. If we were to deplete our chakra completely, it can lead to serious injury to the body, problems with the person's chakra system entirely, or even be fatal. Chakra depletion is very painful and can take weeks to recover from completely…if they're able to recover their chakra at all."

The four doctors standing before her desk seemed to be following along thus far, analyzing each sentence Tsunade fed them as they would listening to a lecture in their college days.

"Now, what you may not be aware of is that in _our_ society, not just anyone can become a 'healer.' Medical techniques, or jutsu, require great understanding and complete control over a person's chakra. Just one wrong pulse could kill the person you're trying to save. Also, in our society, we only train females in medical jutsu. Males are trained for combat so that we can ensure the safety of our healers when they are sent outside of our walls. I'm sure your knowledge allows you to confer just how few of us there are that are able to 'heal with our hands.' Imagine the handful of women that we have with this ability, out there," Tsunade threw a hand behind her, gesturing towards the large windows of her office, "Imagine how long our healers would last in a world where millions are sick. We wouldn't be able to discriminate. We would have to heal everyone, ranging from those terminally ill to others with a simple cold. You witnessed how exhausting healing just twelve people is, do you really believe that my twenty or so healers would be able to survive healing millions. The world would be brought into utter chaos, more so than it is now, having everyone flock to us to be healed. Kami would be forgotten. Not to mention the lack of patience people would have for the women to recuperate. Your society would drain every last drop of life from those healing them. Sakura's, as well as every other healer I know, has too big a heart to stop because they are too tired to continue. They would kill themselves trying to heal as many as they could-"

"Shishou…," Sakura's head was bowed, her hands sliding from Naruto's biceps weakly; all fight having left the both of them.

Tsunade sighed, reigning in her growing anger, "We heal those we can when we are needed. We have lived by the guidelines of our ancestors, who were originally instructed by Kami, to ensure mankind's survival. The council chooses when we act and what actions we are to take."

"If I may ask," Kabuto interjected snidely, "why wait until _ten years_ after the outbreak occurred to involve yourselves in _saving_ mankind. If you and your council are really guided by Kami, why would He want you to wait until we're on the brink of extinction, being ravaged by the people we know, to suddenly act as our saviors?"

Karin's eyes quickly darted between Kabuto and the women behind the mahogany desk. She knew Kabuto to be cold and calculating, but he _never_ involved himself in matters that did not directly affect himself personally. While the end of the world did play a part in all of their futures, Kabuto wasn't the type to voice his opinion on issues outside of finding a cure and saving his own skin.

"_We_ aren't the _idiots_ that created the virus. _We_ aren't the ones who performed tests on innocent civilians; never bothering to check on their well-being after the initial trial period was over. And _we_ most certainly are not the ones responsible for cleaning up this mess," Tsunade sneered at the quartet.

"Look, we were just doing as instructed. We were just interns at the time. We didn't know what would happen either. There are always chances in medical advancement. Only time can tell what those will be," Suigetsu defended.

"Which brings this conversation around full circle," Tsunade leaned back, her leather chair squeaking in protest, "As I mentioned before, we send squads out in search of those who can remedy the pandemic at hand. It took us several years to find your exact location; you four didn't stay in one lab too long. Now that you're here let's not waste any more time. Our clinic, while not as up-to-date as those you've used because we have no need for doctors, can provide you with what you need to continue working on a cure. We can get any other technology you may require and our medics will be available to share any knowledge that is viable to the creation of your cure."

Karin, who had been listening intently, didn't miss the mention that these people had been searching for them. So all the while they had been bouncing around from hospital to hospital, gathering information, equipment, and those not fully infected, these people had been searching for them in order to bring them here. But why? Sure they had helped create the formula that caused this disaster, but any doctor could take their formula, break it down, and work on a cure. Why did they specifically search for the four of them?

"Are you freakin' kidding me? We've been working on a cure for years, your teenage girl here can heal people with her hands, and you think we'll be able to finally create a remedy just because _you_ say so? You're nuts!" Suigetsu burst in frustration.

"Listen up you asshole-" Naruto began.

"I believe what Tsunade is trying to say," Kakashi silenced Naruto with a pointed look, while pushing off the wall beside Tsunade's desk, "is that we've brought you here so that we can _help_ you create this antidote that has alluded you. Our medical practice is a bit different, but between the two styles, a cure should be within reach."

"We are most thankful for your hospitality. While I understand and feel a bit of Suigetsu-san's frustration, we gladly accept the opportunity to work with your people toward rectifying our past mistake," Juugo bowed deeply.

Even though Karin was jumping at the opportunity to finally be able to make right all the wrong they had done, one notion kept running rampant through her head. _Why them_? What if they had all been killed, or worse infected, and weren't capable of standing here? Other than the fact that they took part in the virus' creation, what reason did these people have to search them out? There were hundreds of other doctors they must have come across in their search for them, right?

"Sakura, Sasuke," Tsunade looked through the group in front of her, "Please escort the doctors to the lab. I would like to be briefed on the details of your mission from your captain and self-appointed co-captain."

"Baa-chan! Why do you always have to add the 'self-appointed' part. Kakashi-sensei doesn't argue with me about being co-captain!" Naruto whined and he pushed off the wall.

"That's because you still called him sensei. Can't move on from our genin days dobe?" Sasuke chided as he followed behind Sakura towards the door.

"That stung Sasuke," Kakashi held his hand over his heart, his one visible eye wrinkling in a smile.

"Bastard, I'll punch your face in!" Naruto raised his nose in the air as to brush Sasuke off.

"I'd like to see you try dead-last," Sasuke grunted arrogantly.

"Uzumaki, Uchiha, knock it off. This isn't the time or place for your childish rivalry," Tsunade grumbled.

Naruto continued to mutter things under his breath and Sasuke was quickly yanked from the room from around his wrist by a very annoyed, pink haired, young lady; the four doctors following closely behind.

…

Sasuke allowed Sakura to continue dragging him down the street towards the lab they were leading the doctors toward. For his own pride's sake, he denied the fact that Sakura was a thousand times stronger than him when she focused her chakra, thus he _allowed_ the dragging to continue.

"Honestly Sasuke, I don't understand why you have to antagonize him every chance you get," Sakura mumbled, clearly annoyed.

"He started it," Sasuke felt the childish need to defend himself.

"And that makes it justifiable?" Sakura glared over her shoulder at him.

"Hn," Sasuke decided it best not to annoy Sakura further, fearing she might actually remove his wrist from his forearm within her grip.

"How exactly are we supposed to go about creating the cure that's eluded us for ten years?" Suigetsu interjected.

"You had no problem creating the virus," Sasuke replied snidely.

"Look man, I already said we were just following orders. It's not our fault Dr.-"

"That's enough Suigetsu-san," Kabuto interrupted harshly.

Both Sakura and Sasuke stopped, assessing why Kabuto felt the need to keep Suigetsu from speaking further. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sakura was the first to turn and leave; Sasuke realizing that Sakura had released him when his body was not drug after her.

Karin quickened her pace, easily catching up with Sakura, and taking the chance to talk to her while her solemn bodyguard seemed preoccupied.

"She didn't explain why you have to have a bodyguard. I mean, it's pretty clear as to _why_ you would need one in this day and age, but I still have questions and she said she would answer them," Karin tiptoed around her true question.

"Well…," Sakura began, thinking carefully of her words before she spoke them, "There aren't very many of us who are able to use the medical jutsu to heal people. With how…dangerous the world has become, it is necessary to take precautions and ensure that every healer returns in the same condition in which they left…_alive_."

"So Sasuke-san's 'job' you talked about a few days ago is making sure you stay alive," Karin stated the obvious, "Then what was that with the blonde guy?"

"Naruto? Things with Naruto and I are a little more complicated. That 'quick fix' Tsunade-sama mentioned before?" Sakura glanced to Karin to see her nodding intently in recognition, "Naruto has a…beast of sorts inside of him. Because of this beast, he is able to transfer chakra into me and replenish my levels. It's extremely painful and there's a chance that the transfer can actually do more harm than if I just depleted my chakra levels on my own."

"So you need him to give you a boost when you're healing people?" Karin asked, genuinely curious.

By now, Sasuke and the three other doctors had caught up to the two women. Sasuke took his place on the other side of Sakura, while Juugo, Suigetsu, and Kabuto followed closely behind them.

"We need each other," Sakura clarified.

"Oh?" Karin's expression turning more in confusion, turning to Sakura, and by chance catching Sasuke's minute change in countenance from the statement.

"Naruto can transfer chakra to me when it is necessary, and I only do so as a last resort, and I keep his beast in check. Every healer has someone on their squad with a power like Naruto's. Every healer also has a person in their squad who in solely in charge of their safety. I just happened to get lucky and have the best in both cases," Sakura smiled and looked up to Sasuke, who was successfully ignoring her pointed look.

"Then what about Kakashi-san?" Juugo spoke up.

"Every squad also has a captain who has experience with the 'outside' world. Kakashi is a part of this village, but he lived undercover in the outside world a majority of his career," Sasuke answered apathetically.

"Ah, I see. Wouldn't make sense having a bunch of kids not in sync with the real world running around out there. You wouldn't have a clue what was what and wouldn't be much use in saving anyone," Suigetsu snorted.

Sakura stopped and was facing Suigetsu in the moment it took him to blink. It wasn't until he was over the initial shock that the girl was now facing him when he noticed she held Sasuke's forearm firmly in place, keeping him from being able to continue removing his chokutō from its sheath.

"That's the idea," Sakura replied with the fakest smile Suigetsu had ever seen. She then turned and continued walking down the dirt path. Suigetsu only took another breath when he heard the 'click' of Sasuke's chokutō fastening back within its sheath.

Karin, still reeling from all the information she had gathered over the past few hours, had a few questions regarding her dark haired, brooding, savior, "So when you say it's his job to protect you, does that mean all day, every day kind of job, or only when you're outside of your village?"

"Sasuke was assigned to protect me after I had been formally acclaimed of having the potential to be a healer. Inside the walls of our village, it's not necessary, but were I to venture outside for any reason, I can only do so with Sasuke accompanying me," Sakura clarified.

"How long as he been your bodyguard?" Karin couldn't help but ask.

"I've known Sasuke since I was…six? Is that right?" Sakura's eyes fluttered up to Sasuke who had returned to her side.

"Ah," he answered quietly.

"Yes, I was six and you were nine. The second youngest person to be named a shinobi," Sakura beamed proudly.

"Shinobi?" Juugo let the unfamiliar word roll from his tongue.

"That's what we call our protectors. The Akatsuki, the council Tsunade-sama mentioned earlier, acknowledge a person as a shinobi who have excelled above the rest in the academy. Very few receive such an honor. Others are only allowed to leave on missions outside the village when they have reached the level of ANBU, an…'elite' member of sorts," Sakura rambled proudly.

"You're civilization is _way_ too complicated for me," Suigetsu grumbled.

"It's all we know," Sakura hummed.

"So how do they decide which shinobi protects which healer?" Karin steered Sakura back to her questions.

"That's enough," Sasuke interjected.

"If they're going to be here, for Kami knows how long, creating this cure, they deserve to know how our village works. It's not like there are a whole bunch of people they can tell about us anyway," Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at him in frustration.

"Sakura," Sasuke's tone a warning.

"It's okay Sasuke-kun," Sakura smiled gently.

"Fine," Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and lowered his head, shielding his expression from Karin's eyes, "but only the basics."

"Of course," her smile brightened. Turning back to Karin she continued, "We all go through a training academy together. While my focus in academy was on the healing aspect, Sasuke's was on combat jutsu. There were occasions where we would have classes all together, on certain jutsu and combat training we all needed to know in order to survive, so we all knew each other. I met Sasuke through Naruto and for a majority of academy; I thought he hated me, that is until he picked me to act as my shinobi. It turns out that Sasuke isn't the greatest on expressing himself and usually comes across as a total jerk, but deep down, _way_ down, he does have emotions and compassion for others."

"You're hilarious," Sasuke muttered.

"So…he _picked_ you?" Karin couldn't imagine such a complex society having such a simple system for assignment.

"He picked me," Sakura repeated in affirmation.

Karin wasn't sure how to feel about everything she was told. She wasn't going to deny that she felt a connection to Sasuke in the fact that he had saved her life. She felt indebted to him. She also couldn't deny that fact that, regardless him being several years her junior, he was one of the most attractive men she had ever encountered. However, watching how he interacted with Sakura, that he actually spoke to her, cared for her, the fact that he would give his life in order to keep her safe, made Karin feel a tiny tinge of jealousy. Of course, it was his _job_ to protect her. With a job like that, there was bound to be some sort of bond formed. It would be impossible not to become close with someone in their arrangement.

Then another thought occurred to her; if she felt as indebted to Sasuke as she did for him saving her life _once_, how must Sakura feel with his only concern being her safety? Suddenly Karin wasn't quite as envious as she was a moment ago. She was actually happy being a total stranger to the village. If she was not a part of the village, then Sasuke would owe her absolutely nothing, and if he did speak to her or interact with her, it would be because he _wanted_ to. That was something she could handle.

"We're here," Sasuke's deep voice interrupted Karin's thoughts.

"Just go straight through those double-doors and the receptionist will tell you where to go. She'll be expecting you," Sakura instructed.

Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu made their way toward the glass doors. Kabuto, lagging behind, approached Sakura, "Sakura-san, I have a few questions I would like to ask you about your healing technique. Would you mind sparing me a moment of your time before I begin my work in the lab?"

"I don't have any plans-"

"Sakura and I have things to attend to," Sasuke declared, pulling Sakura behind him, using his body to separate her from Kabuto's sight.

"Forgive me. I just had a few questions in the hopes that it would enlighten us with a new direction to take in creating a cure," Kabuto bowed slightly in apology.

"Another time," Sasuke answered.

This time it was his turn to drag Sakura down the road. Sakura offered a quick apology to Kabuto while being escorted away from the hospital. Once they had passed through the busier part of the village and into the neighborhood the held Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura's apartments, she took the opportunity to figure out what exactly had just happened.

"Sasuke?"

She was met with silence.

"Sasuke?"

No response.

"Sasuke-kun?"

When her usual suffix failed to catch his attention, only enforcing the fact that she knew he was outright ignoring her, Sakura got angry. Ripping her arm from his grasp, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, and sent a glare at the back of her protector's head that would rival one of his own.

"Sasuke, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sakura allowed her voice to raise only one octave, not wanting to disturb the peaceful neighborhood around them.

Sasuke stopped, turned toward Sakura, and met her glare with maroon colored eyes. When her only reply to his appearance was a huff of frustration, Sasuke went on the attack.

"Your naivety is what's wrong with me. Don't tell me you haven't noticed how that four-eyed creep has been watching you since the moment we met them in that panic room. You walk around and act like it doesn't even bother you," Sasuke's voice slightly louder than usual.

"What are you talking about? People stare at me all the time. I have _pink_ hair and I can heal people with a green light that comes from my hands. I'm a walking enigma," Sakura waved off his anger with her hand.

"_This_ is exactly what I'm talking about. You're either completely oblivious or completely stupid," Sasuke regretted the words the moment they left his mouth.

Sakura's face immediately fell into that of a neutral façade; her eyes finding the pebbles on the road more interesting than the man in front of her. Sasuke knew this look. This was the look Sakura used when she didn't want anyone know she was having a hard time or what she was thinking; a sort of defense mechanism.

"Sakura…" Sasuke's half-whispered, exasperated at the fact that he let his anger get the best of him and he was taking it out on Sakura.

Sakura raised her hand in the air, stopping Sasuke from saying anything more. She slowly turned her back to him, lifting her gaze to the empty road ahead.

"Sakura," Sasuke repeated with more conviction.

Sakura stopped mid-step, turning to give Sasuke only a view of her profile, "You've made your point. There's nothing more to say."

Sasuke watched Sakura walk away from him until her figure disappeared around the corner at the end of the street. Cursing himself and his inability to ever be able to hide his emotions when it came to Sakura's safety, Sasuke stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his pants, and kicked a rock in the direction from which Sakura disappeared to.

"Way to go Uchiha," Sasuke grumbled to himself, turning on his heel and making his way to anywhere but where Sakura went. He knew in times like this, it was better to let her stew until her anger evaporated or else risk facing the wrath of her ungodly strength.

Insulting Sakura's intelligence and awareness, insinuating her to be stupid, he might as well of called her a weakling like he used to in the past. At this rate, he would be lucky if Sakura looked at him, much less talked to him about anything other than what she was ordered to, in a week. For some reason, when he insulted her she took is so much more personally than when Naruto or Kakashi made a jab at her. He didn't think it was fair that she held him to a different standard than the rest of their unit, but he'd be damned if he told her that.

While having Sakura mad at him bothered him on a level much greater than it should, the idea of Kabuto getting Sakura alone to do who knows what, bothered him much worse. Sakura could be as mad at him as she wanted, but there was no way in hell Sasuke was going to let her be alone with Kabuto…_ever_. Not while he was her shinobi with a breath in his lungs.

…

**A/N: **Yes, I know that in Naruto there are males who are 'doctors' and are able to use medical techniques (i.e. Kabuto), but for the sake of my fanfic, please understand that things will play out further in the fanfic and the mention of female only healers is just a detail among the bigger things to come.

I apologize profusely for the long delay in updating. I've have some life changing traumas take place and am just now feeling up to writing again. I thank you for understanding. Also, I went through all previous chapters and corrected all errors I was able to find. If I missed any, please feel free to let me know. Any help in proofing is greatly appreciated!


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 7

"F'd up big time didn't we teme?"

If there was one thing that Naruto was good at, it was finding Sasuke during one of his brood-fests. While Naruto may be physically silent, his chakra let him know he was coming for him from miles away. Sasuke liked to think that the dobe was just too egotistical to hide his chakra levels, but deep down, he knew it was Naruto's way of being polite and not sneaking up on him.

"Shut it dead last," Sasuke grumbled, resuming his glare on the tree branch across from where he sat.

It had been four days. Four days since he had slipped that stupid comment that made Sakura so furious with him that she refused to even acknowledge his existence. He had even done the unthinkable, the day following their argument, and tried to initiate a conversation with her, about an upcoming mission of course, only for Sakura to turn her back to him and begin conversing with Naruto. That was where Sasuke drew the line. If she was going to be so immature as to ignore him, he would distance himself from her completely. She would come around eventually. She had to. _He_ was her shinobi; she didn't have a choice in the matter. That was three days ago.

"Ya' know…a simple 'I'm sorry I was a total ass hole Sakura' wouldn't kill ya'," Naruto sat on the branch next to Sasuke, just out of arms reach.

"Hn"

"Seriously, if you got sick or something from apologizing, Sakura-chan could just heal you and you'd be as good as new," Naruto was pushing his luck.

"If you want to die a slow death; keep telling me what you think I need to do," Sasuke glared harder at the innocent branch before him.

"Teme, if I left you alone, you'd have no friends, no social life, and be left to your own devices with no one to talk to," Naruto gloated.

"Have you ever thought that I might actually prefer that to the headaches I get between the two of you?" Sasuke was annoyed with Naruto the moment he felt him coming. If only he could find a way to hide his body from the world and have a solid alibi-

"If that were true, you wouldn't be moping because Sakura-chan is mad at you," Naruto interrupted Sasuke's scheme.

Damn Naruto to always hit the nail on the head. Who was it that claimed Naruto to be oblivious? They needed a thorough beating and Sasuke was in the mood to mutilate something.

"Hn"

"Exactly. You have nothing to say because you know I'm right. So what'd you do this time?"

"Why do you assume I did anything?" Sasuke immediately felt defensive.

"Because it's you…and Sakura's mad at you enough to use me as a distraction," Naruto pointed out the obvious, "I've never been on more dates to Ichiruka's with Sakura-chan since the last time she was furious with you."

"Whatever."

"Hey, I'm not complaining. Getting attention from Sakura-chan _and_ Hinata…I must be the luckiest man in the world," Naruto's smug statements were grating on Sasuke's last nerve.

Without waiting for Naruto's next smart remark, Sasuke leapt from the tree branch and landed soundlessly on the ground below.

"Decided to take my advice after all, did we?" Naruto boasted, leaning back against the tree truck and folding his hands behind his head.

"I'm sparing your life," Sasuke grumbled.

"Whatever you say teme. You know I'd just kick your ass again," Naruto huffed, feeling exhausted from having to mediate one of Sasuke and Sakura's arguments yet again.

As Sasuke stalked off, a small smirk graced his lips when he heard Naruto shouting curses at him and the smell of burning fabric filled his senses. That would teach Naruto to get involved in his personal business…again.

…

"Yeah, and all I was trying to do was get that idiot to apologize to you for whatever he did. It's not like I asked him to go on a suicide mission or something. I mean…look at my pants…," Naruto whined.

Great, just great. Sasuke had given Naruto time to get to Sakura and tattletale before he could figure out just how he was going to go about trying to make amends with her. Now he was going to be in the negative numbers on Sakura's brownie points chart.

Rather than dealing with an even angrier Sakura, he decided to make his exit before his presence was discovered; that is until he heard Sakura's voice drift to his ears through the wooden door of Sakura's office in the Hokage Tower.

"Naruto…I know you were just trying to help, but-"

"But what? 'Leave Sasuke alone and let you two work out your problems on your own?'"

"If you know how I feel about you playing messenger, then why do you keep doing it?" Sakura's voice sounded tired.

"Because Sakura-chan. You two, Kakashi, even Baa-chan are all I got. You of all people should understand that."

Sasuke could barely hear the soft sigh escape Sakura's lips before Naruto's concerned voice expressed what he had been thinking.

"Sakura-chan? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a little tired," Sasuke could mentally see Sakura raising her hand and waving it around, plastering on a big smile, and brushing off everyone's +

concern like she always did when someone asked if she was 'okay,' "So I've healed the worst of the burns and the Kyuubi should heal all the minor wounds within the next couple of hours. Oh and the next time you choose to confront Sasuke and get yourself torched, be sure it's not during my break."

"Heh, yeah. Thanks Sakura-chan, you're the best!" Naruto exclaimed, retreating out of Sakura's office window, avoiding Tsunade and her knack for getting Naruto to do any grunt work available just to annoy him for her amusement, at all costs.

Things got quiet and Sasuke could hear Sakura collapse into her rolling chair, the wheels sliding back a few feet, stopping, and then rolling forward under the desk again, before the silence resumed.

"How long are you going to stand out there?"

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. Sakura had always impressed him with her ability to be so in tune with her chakra that she could detect even the smallest traces of a signature that were virtually untraceable to him without using his sharingan.

Sasuke quietly turned and opened the door to Sakura's office, mentally wincing at how loud the door hinges protested in the awkward silence between them. Shutting her door more quickly, keeping the door from squealing as loudly, Sasuke leaned against the door and crossed his arms over his chest; acting as the epitome of indifference to the tension in the room.

"What do you want?"

Sasuke hadn't been in Sakura's presence in seventy-two hours. The fact that her appearance could change so much in three days left him feeling guilty, like if he hadn't been so stubborn in hoping Sakura would be the first to give in, that he could've kept her from looking so haggard.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's voice deep and smooth.

"Presently? Trying to figure out why you're here," Sakura retorted.

"You know that's not what I mean," Sasuke pushed off the wall and walked over to Sakura's desk. Placing his palms on top of the stray papers that covered Sakura's desk, he leaned forward until he was close enough to feel Sakura's breath fan across his face, "You look tired."

"Gee thanks. It's good to see you too," Sakura glowered, leaning back in her chair to gain some distance.

Sasuke met her glare with equal intensity. Feeling exhausted with arguing, Sasuke let his head drop, catching glimpse of the paperwork his hands covered. Standing upright, pulling a couple of pages up with him, Sasuke quickly read over the scribbled handwriting he had become familiar with as Sakura's.

"You're working with those doctors," Sasuke almost hissed.

"I don't have time for another one of your 'how stupid can you be' arguments. Some of us have work that continues even after we're inside the safety of our village," Sakura knew she was being immature. Taking a stab at Sasuke's lack of responsibilities inside the village even though she knew she had no right to when he was the one making sure she would always return safe and sound, but she was angry and she hoped that if she made him mad enough, he would leave her office and leave her alone.

Sasuke tossed the papers carelessly back onto Sakura's desk. However, much to Sakura's disappointment, he didn't leave. Instead, he stood there, silently staring at her. Frustrated, Sakura rubbed her tired eyes with the palm of her hands. Gathering herself, she grabbed the few papers she needed, that Sasuke had so graciously scattered for her, and stood to leave her office. She didn't need to look behind her to know that Sasuke was following her.

…

When Sakura came into the lab cursing a certain dark-haired, twenty year old, shinobi who happened to be following close behind, Karin couldn't help but feel slightly excited at getting to see Sasuke. It had been days, they had been cooped up in the laboratory section of the hospital, only taking a few short breaks throughout the day to get some rays of sunshine. It was always dark when they left their assigned apartments in the morning and dark when they returned in the evening. They were only allowed weekends off to recuperate and rest their tired minds. While society of desperate for a cure, the Hokage was wise enough not to pursue the antidote at the expense of the doctors trying to create it. However, working roughly twelve hours a day, going over and reexamining possibilities that had been previously ruled out hoping to find some key variable that could make all the difference with the new 'technology' available to them, they were beginning to lose all hope that a cure would ever be synthesized.

"I thought you said you only had your bodyguard on duty when you were outside of this place?" Suigetsu remarked, looking just as tired as Sakura.

"I did," Sakura muttered.

"Then what's that guy doing here?" Suigetsu couldn't help but ask.

Sakura glared in Sasuke's direction, tossing her papers down on the plastic, fold out table with a loud 'thud,' "I don't know…why don't you ask him."

If anyone had the intention of actually asking Sasuke why he was following Sakura around, he silence them with the ominous aura surrounding his stature. Instead everyone continued what they had been working on before Sakura's dramatic entrance and Sasuke took to leaning against the wall beside the double doors of the lab, watching Sakura's every move.

...

If there was one thing Sasuke had, it was patience. He could stalk his prey for hours, days even, until the perfect opportunity to execute the mandates required for completely the mission at hand arose. He watched, he studied, and he became familiar with his mark. He would continue to do so until he knew the target better than they knew themselves; even knowing the moves they were going to make before they made them. His kekkei genkai assisted him greatly in this respect, making it easy for him to calculate the option most effective in defending a target, countering an attack, or even ending the battle before the opponent was aware it had begun.

However, watching Sakura was none of the above. She was interesting, complex even, and was one of the very few people that, at times, Sasuke actually had a difficult time reading, except when she wasn't. The way she could be so transparent and then suddenly cover herself in impenetrable layers of the unknown constantly kept Sasuke on his toes. It all depended on whether she wanted you to understand her or if she wanted you kept at arm's length. In that way, she understood both Naruto and Sasuke better than anyone else ever could. Maybe that's why the both of them, himself and Naruto, felt so drawn to her. Why it came so easily to them to put her safety above their own.

"Sakura-san, did you have a chance to look over that formula I showed you last night?" Kabuto's silky voice broke through Sasuke's reflections.

Last night? Did Sakura completely ignore his warnings about Kabuto?

Anger immediately boiled Sasuke's blood. If Sakura was going to disregard his observations and put herself in a dangerous situation intentionally, then there might come a time when he wouldn't be there to protect her when she needed him. This would not do. Sasuke immediately went from 'vacation mode' to acting as Sakura's shinobi for as long as these foreign doctors were in their village.

"I'm so sorry Kabuto-san. I was up late working in the children's ward of the hospital after I left the lab. I haven't even been home yet. I will make sure to look over it tonight though," Sakura smiled apologetically.

"I had no idea. Please accept my apologies. I assumed you were on the same schedule as the rest of us," Kabuto adjusted his glasses, acting in a somewhat nervous manner.

Sasuke kept his stoic, observing mask carefully in place to cover the disgust running through him as Kabuto's fake attempt to play on Sakura's nurturing side.

"No, no. It's not your fault at all. I took the shift voluntarily. It's my own fault," Sakura smiled brighter; her own way of deflecting a person's discomforts. Sasuke had seen her do this thousands of times when she was healing someone.

Sasuke glanced at the clock across the room. It read a quarter to nine. He could see the other doctors cleaning up their work space. He had been watching Sakura for the past five hours gnawing on her pen, flicking through packets of white paper, looking through several microscopes, and using multiple scrolls to test out antidotes; all of which ended up a failure, burning the scroll into ash. He was just glad to avoid another fight by her voluntarily packing her things and getting ready to go home. It was painfully obvious that she needed sleep.

Filing her research and the documents she brought with her from her office, Sakura walked past Sasuke without so much as a word, and left in the direction of her apartment. The other four doctors, being assigned temporary residences, were given apartments a block from the hospital in the opposite direction from Sasuke and Sakura's building.

Sasuke followed Sakura out of the hospital, stopping when she stood in the middle of the dirt road and lifted her sight to the stars. He watched her inhale deeply, as if the lab had suffocated her. Secretly, Sasuke vowed never to allow an argument with Sakura last as long as this one had ever again.

…

Sakura could feel how her muscles ached, protested every move she made, begging her for sleep. Had it not been for a nurse calling in sick last night and Sakura being who she was, she wouldn't be exhausted and on the verge of collapsing from lack of sleep. However, the joy on the children's faces when she walked in with their vitamins before going to bed, their four o'clock walkthrough, and their breakfast kept her going. It wasn't until Tsunade sent for her that she began regretting the fact that she hadn't slept in the past twenty-four hours.

She knew that Tsunade would have mounds of paperwork for her to examine, mostly containing information on areas where scouts had reported groups of uninfected hiding out, in need of help. Sakura, being the second best healer only to Tsunade herself, had become a confidant of sorts to help Tsunade and Shizune decide which teams were to help which groups based on group size, location, and obstacles to be encountered. While Tsunade had the final say, if approved by the Akatsuki, Sakura's opinion weighed heavily in Tsunade's decisions.

By the time she had finished familiarizing herself with the newest information reported; it was time for her to return to the lab in the hopes of making some sort of breakthrough that could allow the doctors any progress in creating a remedy to the virus ravishing the world.

Now it was all she could do to keep one foot moving in front of the other and not tripping herself. She was still mad at Sasuke because no matter what he said, she _could_ take care of herself. She was aware of how much attention Kabuto gave her, but he hadn't proven to be any sort of a danger; at least not yet. She knew she was too trusting, but she also knew that if you go into every situation a pessimist, constantly doubting others intentions, then you would always find the bad you were expecting. In Sakura's opinion, that was no way to live.

Stopping in the middle of the dirt road, Sakura looked up to the stars and took a deep breath. She was always the first to cave. Her heart was too soft to stay mad long and she didn't have the spare energy to hold a grudge for more than a few days.

She could feel the wisps of her long, pink hair that had escaped from her braid blowing in the wind. She didn't even want to know what she looked like. Obviously it was bad if Sasuke took the time to not only acknowledge how she looked, but make a comment about it.

She took another deep breath and turned her head slightly to the side, giving Sasuke a look at her profile, "Will you carry me? I'm tired."

Without a word, Sasuke bridge the distance between them and scooped Sakura into his arms. Sakura let her feet dangle over Sasuke's strong arm, relaxing her back into his other, and rested her head against his chest. She found comfort in the steady beat of his heart, allowing her eyes to close; she wasn't surprised when she heard Sasuke's voice.

"You're not stupid."

"I know," she hummed.

"I don't trust them."

"I know," she repeated.

"You're too trusting."

"I know," her answer giving finality to their conversation.

When Sakura felt Sasuke's cheek rest against the top of her head, she smiled. Without him having to say the words aloud, Sakura knew this was his apology.

…

**A/N: **Whoo hoo! 2 chapters in one night! Hopefully that makes up for a bit of my absence. I plan to try and have a couple of more chapters up tmw night. Night time is really the only chance I get to write so I'll do my best!


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 8

**A/N:** I want to give special thanks to all those, returning and new, for giving reviews to my story. I honestly thought the story was somewhat of a flop until I uploaded the two most recent chapters and had an overwhelming amount of attention flooding my email. So thank you for your support and I hope to meet your expectations for future chapters I upload! Enjoy!

…

Sakura awoke to the sun streaming through the curtains of her bedroom window. Sitting up, she stretched her arms above her head, wincing when her muscles reminded her of how achy she had become going forty-eight hours with no sleep.

She glanced at the clock, doing a double take when she realized the time. It was almost three in the afternoon! A sudden urgency filled her with adrenaline as she began to scramble to get out of her bed.

"Tsunade gave me orders to make sure you caught up on your rest today," a strong, familiar voice doused Sakura like a bucket of ice water.

The covers that she had been violently trying to escape from suddenly became her source of protection, frantically wrapping them around herself, until she looked down and realized she was still dressed in the clothes she had changed into at her office before Naruto burst in needing her to heal his burns.

"You _told_ her?" Sakura seethed.

"She was already aware. I just confirmed her suspicions," Sasuke answered calmly.

Sakura wanted to be angry, she wanted to be furious, but another thought nagged her more, "Sasuke...what the heck are you doing in my apartment? No, what are you doing in my room…while I was _asleep_?"

"Get a shower. Naruto and Kakashi are on their way over to discuss our upcoming mission," Sasuke carefully dodged her question and exited her room; closing the door behind him just as Sakura hollered his name, realizing he had sneakily avoided her question while distracting her.

Sakura continued to grumble under her breath, knowing that if Sasuke really wanted to, he could hear all the curses she was placing on him, but she didn't care. He was the one who was invading her privacy when he always made such a big deal every time she asked him a personal questions. She could hex him all she wanted, the jerk.

Peeling off her clothes, Sakura turned the handles of her shower until water began pouring out of the shower head. Adjusting the temperature and stepping in, she had every intention of staying under the water until it ran cold. Unfortunately five minutes into her shower, while rinsing the conditioning concoction Tsunade had made for her out of her hair, the banging on the bathroom door began.

After several rounds of incessant beatings against her poor, thin door, Sakura finally gave in and turned off the shower. With the water no longer obstructing her hearing, Sakura could make out Naruto hollering at Sasuke, Sasuke making some sort of snide comment in return, and Kakashi telling them both of them to 'calm down.' No wonder. If Kakashi was in her living room, Naruto must being going crazy waiting for her to join them so he could get on to other things; namely a trip to a specific ramen shop with a certain bluish-black haired medic.

Sagging her shoulders, Sakura dug through her drawer, finding a shirt two sizes too big, and pulled it over her black camisole. Slipping into a pair of knee length, gray sweat pants, Sakura began working her fingers through her hair as she opened her door to Naruto climbing over her tattered couch to get to Sasuke, who had has his chokutō pulled midway from its sheath. Kakashi had actually abandoned his notorious orange 'novel' to intervene.

"What do you guys think you're doing?" Sakura's bell-like voice rang in the air.

Naruto froze, Kakashi turned his head in her direction, and Sasuke continued to glare at their blond haired teammate.

Sakura, now wrapping a strip of leather around the end of her braid that fell around the middle of her stomach, eyed each of the three men standing in her apartment. Naruto, having calmed down, climbed the rest of the way over Sakura's couch and plopped on one of the flattened cushions. Kakashi stood, returning his gaze to Sasuke, who had yet to secure his chokutō.

"Sasuke-kun…" The way she said his name had him glancing at her before he realized his eyes were betraying him. The sight of Sakura, her hands on her hips, and face wearing a scowl made him mentally grimace.

He had every intention of decapitating Naruto right here, in Sakura's living room, rescuing the rest of society from his irritating voice, ridiculously blond hair, and annoying tendencies. That was the plan until he realized this was in fact _Sakura's_ living room and that Naruto was useful to her, not to mention that he was probably one of the only two people on Earth that Sasuke would trust with Sakura's safety; Kakashi being the second.

"So what are we doing this time?" Naruto said in a much more serious tone.

Sasuke replaced his chokutō and took a steadying breath, wishing that the Naruto he dealt with during missions would stick around for the rest of the time he was forced to interact with the dobe. If that were the case, the mental exhaustion Sasuke experienced plotting the blond's death would be unnecessary. He did have to admit that Naruto had matured greatly with his age, but it was the moments where he seemed to revert back into his adolescent frame of mind that caused Sasuke to want to inflict bodily harm upon him.

"The Akatsuki ordered Tsunade-sama to send out scouts from ROOT to find other groups of survivors. We have to face the possibility that these doctors may not be able to create the cure we're needing. If that's the case, we have to save as many as possible and hope that we can outlast the virus. Without some sort of food source, those infected should eventually decompose completely," Kakashi began, flattening a tattered scroll across Sakura's coffee table.

"Should, but we're not sure," Sasuke made sure to clarify.

"Correct. However Sai came back with an intriguing report," Kakashi continued.

"Sai?" Sakura was somewhat dumbfounded at the mentioning of the name.

"I thought he went AWOL when Danzō disappeared," Naruto voiced what Sakura had been thinking.

"Apparently, that's what we were supposed to think. The Akatsuki sent him after Danzō, but he lost his trail somewhere around the Tokyo area. Too many infected to be able to continue the search, therefore they used his information as a sort of scout report, while others were sent out to different locations," Kakashi stared at the scroll in front of him intently.

"What was the purpose in making everyone believe he had betrayed the village then?" The purpose made no sense to Sakura.

"He's a member of ROOT, Sakura, Akatsuki's personal tools to do all of their dirty work. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks," Sasuke spit in distaste.

"Careful Sasuke. We may not agree with every choice the council makes, but they do have the village's best interest in mind. We have to respect their decisions when we are uninformed of all the facts surrounding the situation," Kakashi had said the same speech so many times now, the three of them could recite it verbatim themselves.

"So what was so interesting about Sai's report?" Naruto asked, steering the conversation back to their upcoming mission.

"Right, so in Sai's report, he lists various locations where the infected have surrounded a certain structure or area. He has them marked with an 'X'," Kakashi pointed to the various markings on the map, "It would be wise to assume that there are people held up inside, barricading themselves, while the diseased try to find a way in."

"Tokyo's a four day walk from here. Are you saying we're expected to go through and check each and every one of these 'X's' along the way? It took us twice as long to get back to the village with survivors on our_ last_ mission. How are we supposed to help these people, continue on to the next location, and help the others while still protecting those we already saved?" Naruto's frustration becoming apparent.

"We're going to be tailed, aren't we?" Sakura's eyes stayed trained on the map. Leaning over, she counted the number of 'X's' they would come across along the way, "Twelve. Twelve locations on the way to Tokyo."

"We will be followed by fellow ANBU members. They are not to interfere with our mission except to take the survivors we evacuate back to our village. Once all twelve locations have been infiltrated, we are to wait for further instructions at a designated location," Kakashi's eyes flickering between the trio as he spoke.

"The three of us are ANBU level. If we're just rescuing survivors, why is Sakura required to come?" Analyzing the situation, other than being there to make sure the three of them didn't contract the virus, Sasuke could see a valid reason in need Sakura for the mission. These people were supposed to be uninfected, although it would take a medic to truly know this, there were obvious signs that could be identified with having the virus.

"Sounds like we're being set up," Naruto glared.

"Hn," Sasuke responded in agreement.

"This is a mission assigned to us directly the Akatsuki. Tsunade-sama tried to have Nara's team accompany us, but the request was denied," Kakashi sighed, leaning back into the embrace of Sakura's worn couch.

"When do we leave?" Sakura questioned as she went to her room to begin gathering items she would need for the trip.

"Tonight," Kakashi closed his eyes, preparing for the string of curses that would erupt for Naruto at the fact that their well earned two week break would be cut severely short.

…

Hoisting her pack higher up her back, Sakura sighed long and loud. Naruto, learning the importance of being punctual, was sitting calmly on the ground, next to the wooden gates that kept everything unwanted out of their village. Sasuke, usually the first to arrive at their departure location was nowhere to be found, and Kakashi wasn't expected for another five minutes.

"You think we're expected to make it back?" Sakura asked coolly.

"Are you kidding? They might as well of had us dig our own graves and ready our caskets for them. They won't have anything to put in them anyway when those things get through with us," Naruto scoffed, flicking his thumb across his nose in a gesture of disrespect.

"Now, now. Let's save the conversations for the road. Wouldn't want anyone to hear us," Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke beside Sakura, "Where's Sasuke?"

"Dunno'. Thought he might've been with you," Naruto stood, pulling his backpack over one shoulder.

"I haven't seen him since Sakura's apartment," Kakashi glanced around in the hopes that Sasuke had chosen to savor the last few moments of having no responsibilities while waiting for his arrival.

"Something's happened," Sakura could feel an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach.

They all knew that Sasuke always put the mission first. It was unlike him to be so irresponsible as to show up late for their departure without notifying one of them of the circumstances causing his tardiness.

A sudden creaking of the gates had all of their attention. As the wooden doors began to open, Sasuke could be seen standing in the middle of the road a few feet away. Without a word, he turned and began walking in the direction of the first 'X' labeled on their map. Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura all exchanged looks. Naruto, the first to move, gave a shrug of his shoulders and turned to catch up with Sasuke.

"I guess we're all ready to go," Kakashi announced as he too began in Sasuke's direction.

Sakura, turning to give the village one last once over, couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the entire situation. She felt like they were being watched, but she couldn't see or feel any particular chakras around. That, of course, didn't mean anything. Whoever it was could easy be able to completely conceal themselves from Sakura's senses. Then there was Sasuke's late arrival and his behavior; not meeting them at the instructed location and taking the lead of the group without Kakashi's consent. That too could be overlooked because Sasuke usually did things without anyone's consent and got away with it just because of who he was. Still, Sakura knew something was wrong. Something was wrong with this entire scenario and she'd be damned if she let any of her precious people be harmed by those creatures.

Sakura had every intention of figuring out just what was up with Sasuke and the scheme behind this obvious suicide mission. The Akatsuki may be in control of what was best for the village, but they had no control over her and what she thought was best for those she cared about. She wouldn't be their puppet and she would make sure she unraveled whatever they had planned. She just hoped she could figure everything out before it was too late.

…

**A/N: **Looking forward to writing the next chapter! Lots of things planned! : )


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 9

"We'll make camp here. We can use the ravine as a sort of lookout," Kakashi broke the tense silence that had enveloped the group since they had left Konoha.

Sakura sighed. If memory served her correctly, this gaping ravine was once the Seta River. Japan being as torn as it was, it was a miracle any bodies of water were still in existence.

"Naruto, you and I will scout the area; make sure there are no immediate threats. Sasuke, stay with Sakura. You guys know the rules," Kakashi informed as he disappeared in a gust of smoke.

Sakura couldn't help but release another sigh. She knew it was only because Kakashi cared, but this wasn't her first trip out of the village. None the less, she grabbed a kunai from her pouch and a blanket from her bag. Rule number one: no campfires. Campfires were only allowed when they had stragglers who couldn't use chakra to insulate their body heat. Rule number two: _always_ have a weapon on hand. The infected weren't the only 'people' they had to worry about in the wastes of Japan. There were plenty of hungry cannibals and gangs of raiders that would happily finish them off.

Then there was Kakashi's third and final rule: stay put. In other words, no going out and investigating any 'bumps in the night' or cries for help. They couldn't save the world by themselves and there was no need for them to go looking for trouble; trouble had a way of finding them. If it was absolutely necessary to abandon the campsite, Sakura was to find a safe location and flare her chakra in short bursts. Everyone was to meet at her location. Three simple rules were what kept them together, kept them safe, and kept them organized.

She sat and watched Sasuke from across the dark; her eyes scanning his features for any clue that would help her identify the source of his animosity. Sasuke had never been the easiest person to talk to, but right now, his behavior made him completely unapproachable. Sakura didn't like it.

"Are you okay?" She finally asked after sitting in silence for the past ten minutes.

"Fine," he bit out.

"Are you angry with me?" Her voice staying smooth despite the fact that she was trembling inside from the building anxiety.

"What could _you_ have possible done to make _me_ angry?" Yet again, he didn't look at her as he spoke.

"Was it Naruto? Kakashi?" Her voice quieter.

"Just stay out of my business," Sasuke hissed as he stood from his seated position and stalked off into the night.

Sakura knew he wouldn't go too far. He would go far enough to make Sakura feel alone, but he would have his Sharingan trained on their surroundings, always watching. It didn't change the fact that Sakura did in fact _feel_ alone, but what bothered her more is how frustrated she let herself get. She only wanted to figure out what had Sasuke so irritated. She wasn't trying to make him upset with her as well.

"Jerk," she grumbled under her breath.

They had been travelling for approximately four hours. Looking at the position of the moon, Sakura guessed it to be around ten thirty. Wrapping the blanket tighter around herself, Sakura sniffled; the cold air causing her nose to run. She had decided long ago that she hated missions like these. When the world was 'normal' she was allowed more freedom. She was actually included in keeping watch, completing the objective, and she knew Sasuke didn't feel as burdened with his duty regarding her safety as he did now. However, with the world as it was, she could forget ever feeling the 'normal' she had taken for granted happening any time soon. Now she and all the other medics on the team were treated as weaklings. Sakura _hated _feeling weak. If there was one thing she had proven to both herself and everyone else in their village, it was that she was not to be underestimated.

Sakura closed her eyes, trying to rid the tension in her body, spreading her chakra throughout her system. Once the aching evaporated, Sakura worked on bringing her body temperature up to normal. When the edge of the fall weather no longer made her feel uncomfortable, Sakura did the only thing she could do; she let her chakra filter throughout the area in search of her teammates. Knowing everyone was okay and accounted for gave Sakura piece of mind. Even if they were in trouble, she was absolutely forbidden from interfering, but she _could _let Sasuke know something was wrong…when Sasuke wasn't angry with the world and secluding himself in the dark.

Finding Naruto was never hard. His chakra was just as loud as his mouth. She wasn't sure if this was intentional, as chakra is a part of every person and a sort of indirect reflection of their personality, or if it was because of Kurama dwelling within him.

Sasuke usually wasn't too hard to find either. His chakra, even when suppressed, was immense. He was usually very good at concealing it until the last moment, when he attacked his prey, overpowering them both physically and mentally.

Kakashi, with all his years of experience having to hide his chakra signature in the 'real world,' was the toughest to find. Sakura always saved him for last, making a sort of game out of finding him. His chakra was subtle, smooth, and always reflecting the levels of that which surrounded him. He truly was the embodiment of his nickname; the Copy Ninja. Sakura wondered if sometimes Kakashi played his own game with her: 'See how long it takes Sakura to find me.' Occasionally he would return to camp and give her a random number. It was after the third time he did this that she began thinking it was how long it had taken her to discover his location. Then she started keeping count to see if their numbers coincided.

In the midst of searching for Kakashi, Sakura's attention was drawn to a small signature behind her. It was unfamiliar, yet she could almost recognize it. Suddenly the energy exploded and Sakura lost her breath at its intensity.

"Hello little one," an all too familiar voice filled the air.

"Itachi," Sakura was immediately brought to her feet, blanket forgotten, and kunai in both hands raised in a defensive position.

"You are not happy to see me?" Itachi's smirk sickeningly familiar to another.

"What do you want?" Sakura glared, trying to keep the bile from rising up her throat.

He stared at her, quietly examining her. His eyes terrified her. His voice chilled her right down to her soul. She griped her kunai tighter in order to keep her hands from shaking. The sound of her heartbeat echoed so loudly that she couldn't hear anything else. Growing desperation filled her and Sakura did the only thing she could think of; she closed her eyes and stabbed herself in the leg with one of her kunai. Counting the three, she opened her eyes to see an amused Uchiha staring at her intently.

"Tsk, tsk. You are far too clever for your own good. Do you think I would try to place a genjutsu over you? You, who can identify an illusion quicker than my own brother?" Itachi hummed.

Ripping the kunai from her thigh, unconcerned in her moment of hopelessness just where she stabbed, Sakura was alarmed by the amount of blood that began spilling from her wound.

"I believe you have severed an artery, little one. You should attend to that lest you bleed out. If I was here to kill you, you would already be dead. My intention is only to share a bit of information," Itachi informed her.

Sakura felt herself growing dizzy. She dropped one of her kunai to the ground and stumbled backwards a few feet; her back slamming into the remains of a rotted tree trunk. Steadying herself, Sakura slowly placed her empty right hand over her thigh, a green light laminating their surroundings. Once the internal damage was repaired, Sakura healed the wound enough to stop the bleeding, but refused to deplete any more of her chakra in case one of her teammates ran into trouble and needed her.

"So you used their distractions against them. You placed _them_ under a genjutsu didn't you?" Sakura's breath slightly labored, in both exhaustion and fear, she managed to clear the fog surrounding her rational.

"See, you _are_ a clever one. It was very easy to manipulate Sasuke. He's never had control over his anger towards me. You're other two, they're too busy making sure nothing gets past them that they haven't even noticed the illusion I've placed around them. You on the other hand, would have discovered something was amiss too quickly for me to give you the information I believe you need to hear," Itachi paced in front of her.

"Spit it out already. Just looking at you makes me sick," Sakura sneered.

"Always so quick with the insults. Do you not enjoy my company as much as you do my brother's?" Itachi teased, earning the kunai still held in her left hand to be thrown at his face, "If you want to hear what I have to share, you're going to have to play nice little one," he continued, catching her kunai between in index and middle fingers.

When Sakura didn't respond, Itachi decided that he had been entertained long enough, "Your Hokage is keeping some vital information regarding the doctors you brought to our village from you. I would suggest, assuming you survive this mission, that you ask her who their lead physician was. Who instructed them in creating ZIAS. You might be surprised in what you hear."

"Why should I believe anything you tell me?" Sakura questioned skeptically.

"I have no reason to lie," Itachi sounded almost defensive as he carelessly twirled her kunai between his fingers.

"You have no reason to tell the truth either. You are a part of the same council that sent us on this suicide mission," Sakura countered.

"You presume too much. Please give Sasuke my regards little one...or would it be best he stay unaware of our discussion? Hmm…I wonder," Itachi finished, bursting into a flock of crows and disappearing into the night sky.

Sakura tried to reign in her chakra, to keep it under control, but she knew she had failed when Sasuke materialized before her. She also knew that within the next minute or two, Naruto and Kakashi would appear as well. She had to get her head straight. There was no reason to alarm them with information given to her by an untrustworthy source; a member of the Akatsuki and Sasuke's manipulative, older brother. No, she would investigate first, on her own, and once she knew more she would bring it to their attention.

There was also the fact that if she did let them know she had spoken with Itachi, Kakashi would run Sasuke through for being too far away and too preoccupied to notice the genjutsu. Of course the same would go for them as well, for not recognizing that they had been placed under the same genjutsu, but it was Sasuke's responsibility to stay by her side at _all_ times when they were outside of the village walls. While he wasn't far enough for her to be in danger, he was far enough to give Itachi the opportunity to have her alone. She owed Sasuke too much and felt partially responsible for him getting angry to the extent in which he needed the space that allowed this situation to occur. If she had just kept her mouth shut, he would have been sitting there, across from her, and the conversation with Itachi would've never happened.

"You're bleeding," Sasuke observed, taking notice of her blood soaked pants leg and kunai behind his feet.

"Sakura-chan? Are you alright?" Naruto too noticed the generous amount of red liquid that had pooled on the cracked ground as he appeared beside Sasuke.

"I, uh, tripped. Yeah, clumsy me," she smiled and scratched the back of her head, "I was going to prepare something for all of us to eat and tripped over that tree root. Sliced and diced my leg pretty good. Nothing I couldn't fix though. No worries," she chuckled, hoping her attitude covered the turmoil she felt inside.

"Teme, you're supposed to protect her and you let her cut herself? What kind of bodyguard are you?" Naruto chided; Kakashi placing a hand on his shoulder to quiet him.

Before Sasuke even had the chance to speak, Sakura was covering for him, "It's not Sasuke's fault I had a clumsy moment. He can't protect me from _everything_ anyway."

Sakura waltzed over to her pack, cleaned up her pants as best as possible, pulled out several strips of dried jerky, a wooden cutting board, and a loaf of bread. Using a clean kunai from her pack, she sliced the bread and dispensed the food amongst them. She then settled away from the three men, contemplating what Itachi had told her and realizing that the jerk had kept her kunai.

…

"She tripped?" Kakashi eyed Sasuke.

"Hnn," Sasuke replied, gracefully eating another strip of jerky.

Sasuke was furious. He was beyond furious; he was _livid_. If it hadn't been for Itachi taking him by surprise, distracting him and making him remember things he kept locked away in the back of his mind, right before their mission, whatever happened with Sakura wouldn't be an issue. It would have never happened. Yet, Sakura being the loyal, kind, and valiant person she was, took whatever happened in stride, hid it from all of them, and covered for him to Naruto and Kakashi.

He saw the amount of the amount of blood Sakura had lost. He knew the wound must have been far worse than the superficial one she had now. What he didn't know was how she had gotten it. There were no intruding chakras that he could feel, he had made sure to scan the area with his Sharingan before deactivating it, using the moment of peace to reel in his anger towards Itachi and re-focus on the mission.

He had only been gone a few minutes, knowing he couldn't stray too far from Sakura for too long, and when her chakra became frantic, he immediately rushed to her. Only, there was just Sakura, by herself, leaning against a decomposing tree, with horrendous amounts of blood spilled on the ground and soaking her pants.

"I'm not going to pretend I believe Sakura's 'I tripped' fabrication, but what troubles me more is the fact that you're not telling me the truth. That leaves me to conclude that you either don't know what happened, and considering that her safety is your responsibility...well I need not have to explain your duty to you again, or you're covering for her as well. I just haven't decided which," Kakashi theorized aloud.

Sasuke stewed in silence, still trying to figure out what he had missed. Obviously Kakashi and Naruto hadn't caught whatever transpired either, which did nothing to help clear his conscience. He would just have to be patient. He was good at being patient. If he waited long enough, Sakura would tell him what happened all on her own. He was her shinobi and an ANBU level ninja of Konoha. He would take responsibility for whatever occurred when the time came._ He_ had left her alone, be it only for a few minutes, but alone she was nonetheless. So he would wait and let her come clean. Then he would accept whatever punishment the Hokage deemed necessary for neglecting the safety of her apprentice. Until then, he would be patient and wait for Sakura to explain what happened in those few moments he was not by her side.

…

**A/N: **This is officially the last chapter I'm writing this week. I'll start again next week and since I'm not setting a personal limit for how long each chapter should be, I'm hoping to be able to write at least two chapters a week. We'll see…Enjoy your weekend!


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 10

The entire mission had been a total bust. With each location they investigated, they were met only with those in the later stages of the virus, too far for salvation, or corpses mutilated beyond recognition. However, what bothered Sasuke more than five 'barricaded' locations already infiltrated and destroyed by the infected, was the fact that _no one_ was tailing them. They were supposed to have been followed by some of Sasuke's fellow ANBU level teammates, but he had yet to feel another trace of chakra outside of his three squad members.

"Man…this _blows_," Naruto grumbled, fingers threaded together behind his head, as he kicked a piece of what used to be the ceiling of the building they were in, checking for survivors, "This is the _sixth_ building we've checked out and there hasn't been _one...__single_ survivor."

"It's to be expected. It took Sai several days to get back with his report. Those inside could do little else but wait things out and hope help arrived before the infected got to them," Sakura had shut down after the second building, shielding her heartache by feigning neutrality and her words coming out robotically.

Taking into account she was still shaken from her previous encounter with the _other _Uchiha, then add the horrendous nature of each slaughter, bodies mangled to the point that they couldn't even be identified as human, all accounted for the array of different feelings Sakura harbored; starting with grief, then moving to disbelief, and at the moment rage seemed to be the most predominant filtering through. She couldn't help her emotions, but they were useless to her, her teammates, and the victims of the infected. She couldn't mourn now, thus on her mask went; hiding her inner turmoil and suppressing it from escaping onto her features. She could let herself fall to pieces at home, where the cold water of her shower would muffle her cries and hide her tears. Right now, they had a mission to complete, and she needed to be of sound mind to perform her duties, should they ever _find_ survivors.

"This has got to be some sick joke. That bastard must've provided false information; the Akatsuki took the bait, and bingo! We're sent on a suicide mission," Naruto grumbled, stepping into the sunlight.

"That's a little incredible, even for you Naruto," Kakashi sighed, taking in the dead scenery around them. Not even the trees had been spared. The only sign of life being a few sparse strands of grass that had yet to be trampled or ingested by the starved, sparse wildlife that had miraculously evaded slaughter.

"Only an idiot could come up with such a implausible theory," Sasuke mumbled coming out of the dilapidated building behind them.

Before Naruto could retaliate, Sakura ended their argument, "Sai wouldn't do that. He _wouldn't_." Without stopping she continued around the three men eying her, examining their map for which direction they should move in next.

When Sakura, along with Kakashi beside her, were out of hearing range, Naruto half-whispered to Sasuke, "Okay, I get it that her an Sai are close with their whole 'orphans growing up together,' but it's not like we haven't had tragedies of our own in the parental department. Why is she always so defensive when it comes to _him_? Sometimes, I think she'd side with Sai before she'd side with _you_! And that's sayin' somethin'," Naruto's half-whispered losing its subtlety towards the end of his rant.

"Whatever," Sasuke brushed him off, "She's just being Sakura; too naïve, too trusting, and annoyingly stubborn."

"Oh no. You're not gonna' give me that bullshit excuse. She's got to have given you some sort of enlightenment in the 'Sai Files' by now. You've been her shinobi longer than you haven't. She's gotta' have spilled somethin,'" Naruto's irritation was bursting at the seams. Every time they asked about Sai, he wasn't an allowed subject. It was always bits and pieces, then a diversion with a subject change. "She's been acting weird since last night too," Naruto finished under his breath.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. He agreed with Naruto, Sakura was acting strange, but he couldn't confront her about it now. He had decided to be patient; to wait for her to come to him. Even if he did decide to renege on his decision, Sakura had yet to stray far enough from Naruto or Kakashi, giving him no opportunity to speak with her privately.

Then there was the always ominous 'Sai Files,' as Naruto had dubbed it. Sasuke had enough on his plate with his duties within the village, Sakura's safety on missions, the interest in Sakura from the four-eyed doctor and various others of the male gender, keeping Sakura and Naruto in line when they became bored within the walls of the village, and his own personal oath to make sure Sakura was looked after even when they supposed to be safe in Konoha; although the last was not an official order and one he would never admit to anyone aloud.

Sasuke had realized long ago how all his troubles seemed to revolve around a certain teenage, pink-haired, young lady, but he could only blame himself. He had in fact _chose_ to be her shinobi; doing so because she didn't seem to pay him as much attention as all the other girls in their group, and the fact that he was only _slightly_ impressed by her abilities for her age.

While Sakura was usually an open book to him, the two having been a duo for over a decade, when it came to Sai she became as elusive as air. All he had been able to gather from her was that Sai was important to her, she had known Sai longer than she had known him, and that he was not allowed to ask any questions about Sai. Sasuke had never really concerned himself with their relationship, it was none of his business and as long as it didn't interfere with their mission he didn't care, but at some point, he couldn't be sure exactly when...he began caring. It was more a challenge to him than out of jealousy or apprehension. Sakura had a habit of subconsciously creating puzzles for him and if there was one thing Sasuke couldn't help, it was ignoring a challenge.

Anytime Sasuke had been with Sakura and they had run into Sai, Sakura would excuse herself, giving some lame excuse of a quick errand she needed to run, and quickly make herself scarce. Sasuke wasn't stupid; he knew where she was going and who she was talking to. Sai's chakra signature was as loud as his own or Naruto's so it was no secret when he was near. Sasuke had even felt him flare his signature on several occasions, causing Sakura to all of a sudden remember she had a meeting or needed something and then ditched him. Once her aura caught up to Sai's they would both completely disappear from Sasuke's senses.

The one, and _only_ time, he was irritated enough to slip up to Naruto, he had immediately regretted it. Naruto went into his solemn, serious attitude, explaining that while Sasuke was obviously Sakura's favorite person in their entire village, being jealous of her putting someone else in front of him and giving them her attention was only natural. Sasuke had insisted that it had nothing to do with jealousy. He and Sakura were shinobi and healer, paired up in order to complete missions given to them by the Hokage, nothing more. Sakura may consider him a 'close friend,' and Sasuke would go as far as to say she was an important person in his life, but that was as far as their relationship went. He had tried to convince Naruto that what bothered him was how secretive Sakura became when dealing with or about Sai. Why it was that she couldn't trust them enough to explain when they asked about him. Why weren't they allowed to ask questions, assuming he wanted to? Sasuke was in charge of protecting her; in keeping her _alive_. How could they trust each other completely if she kept secrets from him?

It took only one time for Sakura to ditch Naruto before Naruto was completely on Sasuke's side and understand his plight.

"Did she really trip?" Naruto interrupted his thoughts.

"What?" Sasuke was momentarily disoriented.

"Sakura. Last night. Did she really trip?" Naruto clarified.

"It's Sakura. What do you think?" Sasuke masterfully redirected the question back to Naruto.

"I guess. I'm no healer, but I've seen my share of bloodshed and _that_ amount was not from no little cut," Naruto watched Sasuke out of the corner of his eye.

"Hn," Sasuke deflected.

"Look, I don't know what happened last night, but we obviously missed something. _All_ of us. So whatever it was, you need to figure it out. The little waiting game you always play isn't going to work on this one. I know you weren't there when it happened and whatever happened had Sakura really shook up. You know her better than I do and what does Sakura _always_ try to do, given the chance?" Naruto spoke seriously.

Sasuke remained quiet, various scenarios running through his head.

"Protect _us_," Naruto answered. Without hesitation, knowing his point had been made, Naruto jogged to catch up with Sakura, immediately jumping in and giving Kakashi someone who would verbally respond, Sakura only nodding here and there, and leaving Sasuke to mull on his words.

It suddenly became very clear to Sasuke that this occasion wasn't one that he could sit back and be patient for an explanation.

…

"We'll hit the last three locations tomorrow. If the other nine have been any consultation, we won't have much waiting for us," Kakashi stated as he began unpacking his equipment, "Naruto and I will set up the perimeter. You two stay on your toes."

Sasuke, giving a curt nod, waited for Naruto and Kakashi's chakra signatures to distance themselves from he and Sakura. He had been waiting all day for this moment, carefully planning out exactly how he would go about addressing what happened last night, which key points to examine, and how to keep Sakura from changing the subject on him. She hadn't spoken to him directly all day. Not that Sakura was required to talk to him, he actually enjoyed when she could contain her chatter, but for her to not say more than a few sentences all day to anyone was unnatural. Not even Kakashi, the most eloquent of the group with females and their moods due to his 'research' from Jiraiya's erotic novels, got but a few nods and a sentence or two.

Taking a seat on the ground, unsheathing his chokutō and using the precious sunlight left to begin cleaning it, Sasuke casually took his opportunity, "About last night."

Sakura abruptly stilled. Sasuke watched, gauging her reaction. When her shoulders straightened and she resumed digging through her pack, Sasuke knew getting her to spill anything was going to be a battle.

"Last night when-"

Sakura interrupted him, "You don't have to apologize. I shouldn't have kept pressuring you to explain what was going on when you said you were 'fine.'"

"…_what_?" Sasuke, for the third time in his life, the previous two occasions also brought about from Sakura, was utterly confused. Then it clicked; their fight. She either really thought he was going to explain himself, which he _very_ rarely did…or she was redirecting the conversation.

"It's no big deal. Sorry I bugged you," Sakura flashed him a fake smile over her shoulder and continued rummaging through her pack.

Sheathing his already impeccably clean chokutō, using the action of wiping it down as more an excuse to sit by her than it really needing to be cleaned, Sasuke rose from the ground and squatted in front of Sakura's pack, "Last night-"

"I already told you its fine. What's with you?" Sakura didn't dare look up at him.

"_Damnit Sakura_. What happened last night?" Sasuke finally bit out, gripping Sakura's hands and forcing them still.

Sakura's eyes glared down at Sasuke's large hands still holding her much smaller fingers, "You were upset about something. I can tell ya' know," finally brave enough to glare up at Sasuke's intense stare, "I just wanted to try and do something for you since you're always taking care of me. You stormed off like a big baby, leaving me _all alone_ mind you, and it was dark and I couldn't see that well and I tripped up and cut myself. What's your deal?"

"You're lying," Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"How would you know? You got ticked and ran off, remember?" Sakura met his scowl with one of her own.

"I'm not stupid," Sasuke growled.

"I never said you were," Sakura snarled.

"The amount of blood; it wouldn't have come from a cut as small as the one you have now," Sasuke furrowed his brows.

"I told you, I healed it a bit so it wouldn't get worse or infected in our environment," Sakura huffed.

Sasuke felt completely defeated. He knew Sakura better than anyone else in the village; Naruto giving her a run for her in money in second place. Thus, he knew trying to get Sakura to tell him something she didn't want him to know was going to take time, several rounds of interrogation on his part, and eventually figuring out what happened from the bits that she would accidentally slip and tell. If Naruto were here, he could play the 'puppy dog eyes' look and try to give Sakura a guilt trip about trusting each other, but he wasn't _anything_ like Naruto and would _never_ stoop so low as to beg anyone for anything; not even Sakura. Or at least he liked to believe he would never beg Sakura to tell him something. He liked to believe she would tell him everything when she felt she could and he could pick and choose what he cared to listen to.

Sighing heavily, placing more weight on his heels, Sasuke brought Sakura's hands to his face, using her petite palms to cover his eyes, "You're not going to tell me?"

It was Sakura's turn to be caught off-guard. Not only was he actually _asking _her, instead of demanding, Sasuke rarely allowed physical contact and even rarer was for him to initiate it, but she knew that he was blaming himself. Even something as small as the cut she had, while the reality of it was in fact much worse, she had tried to make it seem like no big deal, and yet he still blamed himself because he had left her. He deserved it sure, he shouldn't have stormed away because he was 'in a bad mood,' but she didn't want him beating himself up over something she could never explain the true origins of. Sasuke was right; she was too tenderhearted.

Moving their hands to the sides of his face, Sakura gently urged him to look at her, to which he immediately complied, "You can't protect me from everything."

With that said, she pulled her hands free of his, and stood to stretch; lifting her hands high above her head and acting as if their heavy conversation wasn't a concern. It may not have been to her, but her statement, her innocent statement stating that he couldn't save her from the world haunted him. He was now completely positive something happened when he left her and that she had no intention of ever telling him a word of it. She was shutting him out, as he had so skillfully done to her and everyone else his entire life, and he didn't like it. It was his job, his duty, his responsibility to keep Sakura safe. More than that, Sakura had become a norm in his life. She was _supposed _to frustrate him with her stubbornness, annoy him with her endless chatter, amaze him with her strength, courage, and loyalty, and she was always supposed to be his to protect. She had become more than a duty to him; she had become important. He had sworn on his life that he would protect her and that she would never feel any sort of pain, if he could at all keep emotional pain from touching her when he wasn't the one causing it because of previously acknowledged _annoying_ traits she possessed, and protect her would.

Patience was something Sasuke was familiar with. He could be patient. However, this was Sakura and she was distancing herself, like she always did when trying to keep something from him; protect him in her own way.

Her innocent statement would never be reality as long as he was alive, "Yes I can."

…

**A/N: **This chapter gave me so much trouble! I knew which direction I wanted to steer the story...it was just _getting_ it there. Writer's block is not a friend...hope you like what you read!


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 11

"How many are there?!" Naruto's harsh whisper breaking the eerie silence.

"Hundreds," Kakashi answered coolly.

"We can't chance doing anything to compromise the integrity of the building," Sakura said in a hushed tone.

Naruto's amber, slit eyes scanned the building once more, "There are at least thirteen warm bodies inside. Maybe a couple of more? It's hard to tell with how weak their chakra signatures are."

"We need to devise a distraction, draw them a safe distance from the building, and dispose of as many as possible," Sasuke concluded; gaining an approving nod from Kakashi.

"So what are ya' thinkin'?" Naruto leaned back from the rock he was looking over.

"Naruto, you're clones just might give the infected incentive enough to desert getting into the building with the temptation of easier…prey. Sakura, did you by chance pack geological maps of the Tokyo area?" Kakashi's eyes never leaving the massive horde of infected bodies trying desperately to get through the barbed wire, chain-link fence surrounding the old prison building.

"Of course," Sakura answered, immediately pulling off her pack and rummaging through its contents.

"Good. Find the best location that will be far enough away to not risk causing the building to cave-in on itself when you create a crater in the ground. Sasuke," Kakashi sighed heavily, "I'm sure you've noticed our trailing party has failed to make an appearance."

"Ah," Sasuke not liking Kakashi's tone.

"I'm going to ask you something…unethical," his uncovered eye glancing to Sasuke before returning to the building several hundred yards away, "You've unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan and I've trained you in using the Kamui technique."

"Absolutely not," Sasuke instantly snarled.

"What is it?" Naruto asked before Sakura had the chance.

"I know I've preached to you about your duty to Sakura's safety and I am going to be the first to say that what I'm about to ask is hypocrital of all my lectures-"

"Then don't ask," Sasuke interrupted.

Sakura placed a gloved hand on Sasuke's forearm, trying to ease is aggression, "Kakashi, what are you asking?"

"Because of the Mangekyō Sharingan, we can use a teleportation jutsu, called Kamui. However, each eye performs a different type of teleportation. While I only have the left eye, I can teleport an object to another dimension through my line of sight. Sasuke has the ability to use both teleportation and become intangible; though he has only mastered the teleportation during training. Sasuke can also teleport anything in physical contact of his person. The only drawback is that it requires a great amount of chakra, the extent of which is influenced by the object or number of objects being teleported, and it takes a great deal of concentration and accuracy," Kakashi briefly summarized.

"So you're sayin' the two of you teleport in and teleport out with the survivors inside while Sakura and I play rodeo clowns for a bunch of infected capsules?" Naruto making his distaste for the idea known.

"There's no way we can take on this many of them and have any hope of getting the survivors out on foot. I agree with Kakashi's plan," Sakura remarked while studying the map she had lain out in front of her.

"What? No!" Naruto adamantly disagreed.

"I'm not leaving Sakura unguarded," Sasuke proclaimed.

"He's not asking you to. Kakashi and you can get in and out of there without having to break down a door or crash through a window. You get in, you get out, and I'm sure Kakashi has in mind to stay and protect the group while you come to Naruto and I's aide, should we need it. Besides, I'll have like a hundred Naruto's with me. It'll be like Naruto's briefly filling in for you," Sakura smoothed their tension.

"Precisely," Kakashi always knew Sakura was the cleverest in the group.

"Naruto, I'll keep my chakra flared so you can easily guide the clones to my location. Once the stragglers have past, I'll come in behind and create a chasm the expanse of the clearing. That should separate us from them. Any desperate enough to try to get back across will only end up at the bottom of the pit," Sakura's eyes shining confidently up to Sasuke's.

Whipping his hand through his hair, Sasuke knew any argument he made would be futile. His eyes bled red, glaring at Kakashi, "You are never to speak to me of my duties when pertaining to Sakura again."

Kakashi eyed him gravely before announcing, "We'll strike before the sun sets and use the cover of  
the night to get as far away from here as possible.

…

To say Sasuke was pissed would be an extreme understatement. To whom he was angry with was questionable. Kakashi, of course, but then he was also distressed with Sakura. He shouldn't be, he knew, because this kind of thing was expected from her, but _Kakashi_? The whole plan was absurd. There had been instances where Sasuke had to abandon Sakura's side during battle, always by her demand and great amounts of coaxing, but it had never been in the plan. Although, should he need to, he could get to her, but the fact that she would so easily place him elsewhere disturbed him.

Then again, it was to be expected. Their mission specifically stated to go to each location and save as many survivors as possible. Of the other eleven buildings, they had been too late, but here, at this run down, retired prison, survivors huddled inside; each of them barely clinging to life and desperate for an escape. The failure or success of their mission depended on the survival of the handful of people inside the gray, stone walls.

Sasuke may not be the most astute when interacting with others, but he knew Sakura, and he knew that she had been taking each failure personally. She did that; viewed each person that lay dead at their feet as a mother, a son, a daughter, a father, etc. that she could have saved, whereas the other three viewed them as simply a dead body. Sasuke understood Sakura's determination, but that didn't mean he agreed with it.

He rose from his seated position, the group still using the upturned rock formations as cover, and crouched low to the ground as he moved closer to Sakura. She had her knees pulled tightly to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself, her hands gripping her elbows tightly. She was so lost in thought that she only realized Sasuke had moved next to her when his arm brushed her as he moved back into a seated position. Sakura watched as he leaned back against the coarse, cool rock, straightening his left leg, and resting his arm on the bent knee of his right.

Kakashi was somewhere in what little foliage there was to offer, stated he was relieving Naruto of his watch and was probably reading his little, orange book, waiting for the sun to start setting. Naruto was currently taking the opportunity to nap, as Kakashi had advised the three of them, for it would be a long night and an even longer trip back home.

"Not tired," it was a statement rather than a question.

"I'm exhausted," Sakura answered honestly.

"Then sleep," Sasuke replied automatically.

"I can't. This entire mission has just felt wrong from the beginning. I know you and Naruto aren't in the Akatsuki's good graces, but they didn't have to take it out on me and Kakashi too," Sakura teased, nudging his ribs with her shoulder.

Sasuke smirked, her childish behavior making its appearance even in the dreariest of times.

"It's obvious Sai's intel was good, from all the dead bodies we found, but I don't understand why the council would send _us_ out here knowing how long it took him to get back and how long it would take us to get _here_. And the whole 'we'll be tailed by ANBU so they can extract the survivors we find' crap. We weren't followed because they knew we wouldn't find anyone," Sakura spat distastefully.

His smirk fell and he took a deep breath, trying to figure out exactly how he wanted to begin the conversation that had been nagging him for several months now, "Did you ever believe Sai had defected?"

"Never," she answered without hesitation.

"How could you be so sure?" Sasuke spared her a glance.

She rested her chin on the valley her huddled knees created and smiled wistfully, "Because I know Sai."

"Hn," Sasuke half-sneered.

"Sai's…" she caught herself and glared at Sasuke, "Sai's an off-limits topic. You know that. I don't know why you and Naruto are so curious about him."

Sasuke hesitated; making sure his words would only be heard by Sakura, before staring up at the kurohagewashi who were a constant in the sky, "Because you're our teammate."

"Kakashi's our teammate and you don't ask him questions about all the women he's around," Sakura defended.

"That's…you're different," Sasuke vaguely explained.

"How so?" Sakura turned to full attention to Sasuke.

"Sakura," Sasuke sighed.

Sakura waited patiently, examining his features as they twitched minutely, the only way she was able to tell he was in fact thinking of the right words to say next, "You're too trusting."

"You tell me that all the time," Sakura felt a sting from the insult.

"I only say what is true," Sasuke stared straight in her eyes.

"So I'm not allowed to have a private life?" Sakura's eyes never faltered.

"To an extent, none of us are," Sasuke broke their gaze to return staring at the sky.

"I get it, ya' know. You lost your parents, you've severed ties with your brother, but at least you had both of them for nine years. You'd still have your brother if things weren't so messed up. Naruto, he was doomed to lose his mother from the start, having to sacrifice her life for the Kyuubi to be passed on, but he has his dad. Kakashi's lost everyone and anyone that he has ever been close to, except us, but he remembers them; his parents. I've never had any of that. I don't know where I was born, what my parents looked like, I don't even have a fond memory to hold on to," she finished.

"What are you trying to say?" Sasuke tensed at the mention of his family.

"I'm saying that I understand your intentions; not wanting to lose anyone else. I accept that along with all your other quirks and flaws, but I'm seventeen Sasuke. I know you want to protect me, but you can't smother me. I'm a kunoichi. I _can _defend myself if I have to," Sakura gave him a small smile.

"I'm here so you never have to defend yourself," Sasuke countered.

Sakura grabbed the end of her braid, fiddling with the strip of leather that kept the braid from falling apart, "You're missing my point. What is the number one rule we must follow?"

"A shinobi must always put the mission first," Sasuke answered.

"Exactly. The mission comes before your duty to me. Therefore, Kakashi's suggestion doesn't make him a hypocrite. Our mission is to rescue any survivors at the locations Sai marked on our map. What's the second rule we have to follow?" Sakura's green eyes growing heavy.

"A shinobi must never question their commander," Sasuke breathed.

"You and Naruto fail that one all the time. You both broke that rule specifically today. You're just lucky we have enough dirt on Kakashi to keep him from reporting you, if he ever actually tried," Sakura bowed her head, rubbing the tired neck muscles, "and the last two?"

"A shinobi must never show emotion and a shinobi must always protect their healer," Sasuke chose to pacify her by answering.

"So you see; I'm last on the list. It may be your duty to protect me, but there are several other factors that are much more important to the village than I am," Sakura patted Sasuke's black, baggy pants in an attempt to eliminate any dust that would transfer onto her. She then laid her head down on his thigh, snuggling into herself as she took comfort in her makeshift pillow.

Sasuke gently tucked a stray piece of pink hair behind her ear. When her breathing evened out and he knew she was asleep, he took the opportunity to thoroughly examine just how much she had changed. Her once pudgy face had lost all traces of 'baby fat,' leaving high cheek bones, an angular chin, button nose, the large, innocent green eyes hid behind her eyelids, full lips, and fair, ivory skin. He noted that the feature he probably found the most endearing was the slight dimple she sported on her left cheek when she was giving a genuine smile. She had, of course, grown taller, thinner; her body toned and conditioned with the constant training schedules she had between shifts at the hospital and sleeping in her apartment. She had also matured, still having her moments where she pouted like a child or threw a temper tantrum, but that was just Sakura.

However, the Sakura lying before him, sleeping peacefully, was nothing compared to the slip of a child he remembered. She had grown up and Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about that. When she was younger, she depended on him, but now she was chastising him with claims that he was smothering her? She was using the shinobi rules, the rules that had been imbedded in his training since he was five, to validate her argument that her safety was not what was most important.

He would never understand her. He would never understand why she would risk her safety, her _life_, for strangers that may or may not survive the trip back to Konoha. Here she was, having her own personal bodyguard, protector, guardian, and she wanted him to leave her side? In their world, a few moments could be the difference in life and death. By not being by her side, she was risking those few moments.

Brushing her bangs out of her eyes, smirking when she sighed and nestled her head into a more comfortable position on his leg, Sasuke decided; rules be damned, "Your safety is more important than the mission."

...

**A/N:**Kamui is a teleportation jutsu that Kakashi inherited from obtaining Obito's eye. Information can be found here under the subtitle 'Teleportation': naruto .wikia wiki / Kamui [remove spaces]

Kurohagewashi:A Japanese bird that I, in America, would call a carnivorous vulture/bird of prey. Info found here: worldbirds. eu/ abcc/ Cinereous_ Vulture. htm [remove spaces]

I took the rules a ninja must follow from the literal Naruto shinobi rules which can be found here: naruto. wikia wiki/ Shinobi_Rules [remove spaces]

Also, if anyone has a deviantart account, my user name is acarver12. I posted this story there and the links are MUCH easier to navigate as they will actually work without spaces and whatnot needing to be added to they stay visible when the chapter is uploaded!


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **As we all know, characters and places in the Naruto world, all belong to the creative genius that is Kishimoto Masashi. I own nothing and events that occur in this story are similar to others only by coincidence. I claim only the plot of this story.

The Legend of the Healers

Chapter 12

"So we're clear on our rendezvous point?" Kakashi inquired.

With everyone nodding in agreement, each turned to take inventory of their weaponry. Digging through her tattered, army green colored bag, cursing Uchiha Itachi to Yomi and back, Sakura was relieved to find her extra stash of kunai had indeed been packed, sharpened, and ready for use. She then paused, grimacing at the idea that even being face-to-face with Akuma probably wouldn't intimidate Itachi. Smug bastard. That confidence was the only personality trait Sakura saw in both the Uchiha men, aside from their physical similarities. She didn't know Itachi well enough to recognize any other traits her shinobi might share with him, and she didn't want to. She stopped rummaging when a glossy, black object came into view. Sakura followed it up to the source of who held it outstretched in front of her.

Sasuke stood above her holding the hilt of a short sword. Sakura vaguely remembered Sasuke mentioning this style of tantō during one of his _many_ lectures to her on the importance of understanding a weapon before weilding it. These lectures always began when she asked to see his chokutō, to which she would immediately zone out as soon as she heard the sharp '_no_' of his every reply. Glancing at sword once more, Sakura recognized the family insignia partially hidden beneath his palm, engraved in the light oak handle.

"It's a bit longer than your trench knife. However, I feel confident that you will be able to use it effectively," Sasuke acknowledged when Sakura hesitated to take the sword from him.

"So you're basically reinforcing your constant lectures on handling swords?" Sakura read the underneath of his statement.

Smirking, Sasuke gently flicked the sheathed sword towards her in a gesture for her to accept it, "Precisely," he paused as if trying to figure out how to word his next statement, "You're small. It will suite you."

Standing, Sakura dusted the dirt from her hands, "I'm assuming there's a compliment in there somewhere?" Taking the sword, Sakura was caught off guard by its weight. The sword was approximately the length of a ruler, half the length of Sasuke's chokutō, but it wasn't as 'light as a feather' like Sakura had expected. It was by no means heavy; however it weighed more than her accustomed trench knife.

"This tantō has a kanmuri-otoshi style blade," Sasuke began as his hands wrapped around Sakura's in order to unsheathe the sword. Moving around behind her, his firm grip on the sword keeping Sakura's back snugly against his chest, Sasuke extended Sakura's arm out in front of her, "With a kanmuri-otoshi blade, you have two styles of sword in one. The outward curve of the blade is sharp, used most efficiently in self-defense, but can also deal fatal damage when an enemy is struck appropriately."

When he stopped speaking, Sakura nodded, absorbing this precious information Sasuke was sharing with her. As he carefully reached around her with his free hand, Sakura couldn't help but realize the intimacy of their embrace; both of Sasuke's arms around her, enveloping her in a scent that was so distinctly Sasuke, she felt safe. Feeling the blade being turned in her hand, Sakura refocused on the tantō's blade, and Sasuke's hand fell back to his side.

"This side of the blade is flat; dull. It can be used when needing to incapacitate an enemy in a non-lethal fashion," Sasuke finished releasing her of his hold and taking a step back.

Bringing the blade closer to inspect the intricate engraving that adorned the steel, Sakura felt an rough area on the underside of the hilt. Flipping the blade over in her palm, Sakura read the kanji inscription, eyes drifting of the initials engraved underneath before realization dawned.

Turning suddenly, sheathing the sword, Sakura pressed it flush against Sasuke's chest, "I can't accept this."

"I am giving it to you," Sasuke replied calmly.

"Sasuke…I can't. This was your mother's," Sakura met his stare evenly; her voice stern.

Looking towards the setting sun, Sasuke seemed unfazed by Sakura's response, "'To always protect you,'" Sasuke recited, "My father was my mother's shinobi."

Sakura nodded, already familiar with this detail, and Sasuke continued, "He gave it to my mother so that if there were ever an instance that he couldn't perform his duties as her shinobi, she could protect herself."

Sakura wanted to point out to Sasuke that _their_ relationship was far from that of which his parents shared. Shinobi and healer were forbidden from having any sort of relationship outside of the platonic friendship formed through trusting a teammate. Emotions could conflict and override rational, comprising a shinobi's performance. Emotions are always to be suppressed in the life of a ninja. While the healer's safety was always priority, there were times, such as now, when the mission took momentary precedence.

Sasuke didn't talk about his parents much so Sakura wasn't sure of all the circumstances that surrounded them, but what was beyond obvious was the fact that Sasuke's parents broke a taboo...twice. She also knew that Tsunade had pardoned both of them, but that Mikoto-san was rarely permitted missions outside of the village. It had taken her years to get Sasuke to relinquish any of this information; Tsunade filling in the details of what little Sasuke revealed to her, but never telling Sakura anything more to help her complete the puzzle.

It was common knowledge amongst the village of the tragedy that occurred on the last mission Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san had been sent on outside of the village walls ten years ago; just before the outbreak of the virus. Sakura could only guess who knew the whole truth of the objective this mission entailed, however, what she did know was that the night they left was the last time any of them saw Sasuke's parents. Sakura had grown fond of Mikoto-san, and had great respect for Fugaku-san, in the three years she had been partnered with Sasuke before their disappearance. It was a painful time and Sasuke heavily depended on his brother for support.

A few months later, Sasuke awoke one morning to an empty house with only a simple note of 'I'm sorry' from Itachi. Sakura felt betrayed. She could only imagine the level of treachery Sasuke endured. When Itachi returned six years later, accepting a position in the Akatsuki, he had changed.

The first conversation Sasuke had with Itachi, on the training fields where he had been teaching Sakura how to properly wield her trench knife, a few months after his return; Sasuke asked if Itachi had found their parents.

"I didn't look."

Those three words still haunted Sakura. She had held onto the hope that Itachi had left to find them. To discover what had happened to Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san. To bring them home so they could celebrate their safe return or properly lay them to rest.

The bridges of their relationship had been burned. After that conversation, neither Sasuke nor Sakura attempted to try and understand what could have kept Itachi away for six years when he and Sasuke had just experienced the loss of their parents.

"My mother was a great healer; an even greater ninja," Sasuke's voice rang over the silence that had veiled them.

"I remember," Sakura smiled, looking into the sunset that had captivated Sasuke's attention, "Strong yet gentle, stern yet kind, strict yet understanding, and loyal. _Always_ loyal. She was exactly what I would have wanted in a mother. Tsunade-shishou has always been good to me, but she is the Hokage first. Mikoto-san…she always had a way of knowing when I was lonely."

Stuffing his hands in his pocket, Sasuke's eyes moved to Sakura's profile. The hint of pink dusted across her lightly freckled cheeks, the way her innocent blush matched her hair as she reminisced with him, the smile that reached her eyes, the way she now clutched the tantō close to her heart; Sasuke couldn't help but speak the words that spilled past his lips, "You remind me of her."

"Hmm," Sakura hummed breezily.

He smirked. Sakura took the compliment in stride, choosing not to make him feel uncomfortable for voicing his usually guarded thoughts aloud. Nevertheless, Sasuke could tell the relation had made her happy by the way her smile grew to expose her dimple.

"You're annoying too," Sasuke couldn't help but tease.

"You had to ruin it, didn't you?" The smile vanished and Sakura tilted her head slightly to glare up at him.

"Hey! You guys quit flirting and get your crap together! It's almost time," Naruto spoke slightly above normal in an attempt to stay quiet.

Grating her teeth, Sakura turned towards Naruto, "Would you shut your mouth! If anyone were to hear you spouting crap like that, you'd get me and Sasuke in a lot of trouble!" Sakura hissed as she stomped toward him and slugged him on the back of his head.

"Ow! Awe come on Sakura-chan. You know I'm just kiddin.' Teme's too much of an idiot to even understand the concept of flirting," Naruto grinned; squeezing his eyes closed and nursed the small bump on the back of his head.

"Says the loser who didn't realize a girl was interested in him since academy," Sasuke snorted; coming to stand between Naruto and Kakashi.

"You guys _do_ realize I'm standing right here. Any suspicion of relationships between teammates would require me to submit a formal report to Tsunade-sama requesting an investigation," Kakashi spoke as he flipped the page of the recently published _Icha Icha Strap._

"Bullshit. We have so much dirt on you Kakashi-sensei. We'd bury you before you could even put your pen to the paper for the report," Naruto stated flatly.

"Well, I guess you have a point," Kakashi slumped in defeat as he flipped another page.

"Honestly Naruto. You could show Kakashi a little respect," Sakura sighed, readjusting the satchel around her waist to make room for the tantō.

"I show him respect," Naruto defended.

"Right," Sasuke prodded.

"Hey bastard! You're the _last_ person who can talk about showing people respect," Naruto pointed his finger at Sasuke's face accusingly.

"Dobe, remove your finger before I remove it _for_ you," Sasuke glared.

"Screw you asshole. You're just lucky we're in the situation we're in or I'd cut that disrespectful tongue right out of your head," Naruto took a step forward.

"You guys _cannot_ seriously be doing this right now. We've got a few uprooted rocks for cover, it's getting dark, there are hundreds of hungry, decomposing corpses below us, trying to _eat _our objective, and you're going to start picking fights with each other _now_?" Sakura exhaled, raising an eyebrow and her hands resting on her hips as if she were scolding two children.

"Teme started it."

"Dobe."

"Now, now, Sakura raises a valid point. We should start getting into position before the sun sets," Kakashi announced followed by the sound of his book being snapped shut.

Giving both Naruto and Sasuke a pointed glare, their moods sobering, Sakura turned and peered around the rock formation behind them, "The temperature is dropping. They're starting to look more sluggish."

"Alright. I'll go ahead and make sure there are no obstacles in our way," Naruto nodded in the direction to the east.

"Be careful. I'll be close behind," Sakura peeked at him before returning her gaze to the dilapidated prison.

"Che.' Like anything could get in my way," Naruto lifted his nose to the darkening sky. Naruto was unable to see Sakura's smile, but she appreciated his ability to ease her apprehension with his immense confidence.

Sasuke caught Naruto's shoulder, quietly gesturing with a nod of his head for Naruto to follow him away from Sakura's vicinity. Once a good distance away in the direction Sakura would be traveling momentarily, Sasuke stopped, and faced Naruto.

"Look. I already know what you're going to say. I'm actually kinda' pissed about it-"

"Dobe."

"-because Sakura-chan is just as important to me as she is to you and if ya' think-"

"_Dobe_."

"-that I would let any harm come to Sakura-chan, you're more of a bastard than I thought you were-"

"Naruto shut the hell up," Sasuke spat.

"_What_?" Naruto was slightly dumbfounded at hearing his name spoken from Sasuke.

"This whole mission has been bullshit from the start. You know it, I know it, and Kakashi knows it. Sakura is putting on a good front, but even she's realized that we were never expected to find people alive, let alone bring anyone back. I don't know what's waiting for us out there. This could easily be Akatsuki's way of trying to kill us off, making us martyrs for the cause, and Sakura is guilty by association. Keep your shit together out there," Sasuke voiced, fist trembling at his side in pent up rage.

"I got it. I'm strong enough to watch Sakura-chan's back and my own. You don't have to worry. Akatsuki may desperate to get rid of us, but I'll die protecting Sakura-chan before I'd let a single hair on that head of hers be touched," Naruto assured puffing out his chest, "You're a good guy, when you're not being a bastard, Sasuke. You just be sure and look out for you and Sensei too."

Sasuke scoffed, "We'll be fine and I could care less about _you_, dead-last. I'm just telling you not to do something stupid that would leave Sakura unprotected."

"_Right_," sarcasm dripping from his voice, "It's too bad you have to play hero teme. By the time you get around to us, there ain't gonna' be nothin' left to fight." Naruto's confidence seeped into Sasuke, causing him to meet his blond teammates wide grin with a smirk of his own.

Lifting his fist up in the air, Naruto met him halfway, resting his forearm against Sasuke's in an 'x' fashion, "Don't die. Sakura-chan will figure out a way to resurrect you just so she can beat the hell outta' ya' for dying."

"Likewise," Sasuke grimaced at the thought.

…

"Kakashi," Sasuke sneered.

"I know," Kakashi's voice betraying nothing of his anxiety.

Their plan went awry the moment Kakashi and Sasuke had entered the prison. Apparently they hadn't been the only ones watching the prison. As soon as Sasuke had performed Kamui, blips of Chakra sprang up in the remains of the forest behind Sakura and Naruto's location.

Sasuke could feel the spiking in Naruto and Sakura's chakra. He knew that whatever had just ambushed them was unlike anything they had come across before. These signatures were strong, almost as if whatever it was were able to control their chakra.

Casting a glance over the horrified lot huddled on the ground behind them; Kakashi could only come up with one conclusion, "Leaving the prison with everyone in our care is no longer an option at the moment. Go help them. I'll make sure the prison isn't breached."

Sasuke needn't be told twice. Bursting out of the room and flying up the emergency stairwell to the highest floor; he exited via the door to the helicopter platform on the roof. Activating his Sharingan, trying to pinpoint Naruto and Sakura amongst the sea of bodies below, Sasuke was overwhelmed. Never had he come across people with such strong auras outside of their village.

Bodies of the diseased lay strewn about in every direction and it was obvious that Naruto hadn't had the chance to lure the infected to the location where Sakura lay in wait, thus forcing her to come forward out of hiding. Amid the already decomposing bodies were bodies of what Sasuke deemed to be uninfected, 'normal' civilians. They dressed, for the most part, in darker attire, but other than that there was nothing remotely distinct about them.

Catching a flash of yellow, Sasuke advanced to the battlefield below, "Where is the real you?"

Naruto's clone looked harggard, being one of the lucky few who hadn't been disposed of in the course of the battle, "Somewhere back there," jerking a thumb toward the sparsely wooded area south of them, "These assholes showed up out of nowhere. Sakura manage to catch their signatures just before they were on us. They're targeting her. As if these animated bastards weren't enough trouble, now we've got these pricks who know all about chakra spreading us thin."

While slicing through the mass of decaying bodies, Sasuke and the Naruto both stumbled as the ground below them fiercely quaked, "Get your ass over there and help them. There are a few clones left besides me. We'll hold these guys off," Naruto's voice yelled above the cries of the infected.

…

Commanding his feet to drive him faster, Sasuke raced through flailing limbs, hacking off those he couldn't avoid, and jumped into the dying forestry. Carefully choosing each branch to hurdle from, his blood red eyes scanning all around him, Sasuke reached the opposite side of the woods.

Naruto was pinned down, too many assailants for even him to handle, had managed to immobilize him. Sparks of red chakra began flashing, becoming visible to the naked eye, as the marks on his cheeks became deeper and his eye teeth sharpening to a razor point. All the while Naruto kept screaming for Sakura.

Sasuke couldn't see her. It should have been easy to find bright pink in a sea of black, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't locate her. He darted down from the tree he had perched on, taking in the sight before him, and began running in the direction Naruto was struggling to face from within the grasp of his captors.

Several shuriken whizzed toward him causing Sasuke to pause in his pursuit. Ripping his chokutō from its scabbard, Sasuke deflected the few that would have come in contact with his person. When Sasuke refocused on his immediate surroundings, a group of six men and women formed a circle around him. Adrenaline thrumming through his veins, Sasuke easily disposed of the man and women to his immediate right and left with the quick flick of a kunai. The remaining female behind him thought Sasuke to be too preoccupied to notice her start on him and was quickly rendered incapacitated with a clean slice to the throat before being thrown into another of her teammates.

The remaining two men, slightly more hesitant to attack, kept their distance. Sasuke took a sharp swipe through the air, splattering the blood from his blade in the eyes of the man on his left, while he leaped toward the man to his right. He block the man's kunai with the arm guard underneath the tape of his left foreman and ran his chokutō through his enemy's stomach. Sensing a presence behind him, he forced the man attached to his blade to move him front of him as a shield of sorts, absorbing the slice of a kunai. Sasuke's held on tightly to his sword with his right hand, punching with his left, and knocking the second man to the ground. Removing his chokutō, Sasuke made eye contact with the last assailant, blood still coating most of his face. The man's eyes widened and Sasuke knew that his genjutsu had taken effect. Within a few moments the made would bleed out from self inflicted wounds.

A flux of familiar chakra caught his attention and Sasuke quickly routed his path. The glint of Sakura's tantō shone brightly in the setting sun, blocking the upward slice of an enemy's blade meant to cut her in half. Quickly recovering, Sakura countered, forcing the enemy to block her attack. With his blade occupied, Sakura took the opportunity to focus chakra in her hand, pressing is flat against the man's chest. A sharp spike fluxed her chakra and blood began dripping down the corners of her enemy's mouth. Sasuke would have been proud if not for the immediate shift in the ground at her feet, causing her to somersault back several feet. As she landed several slabs of earth erupted from the ground around her. No sooner had they ejected than they shot toward Sakura; the words Bedrock Coffin ringing in the air.

He wasn't going to make it. He wasn't going to be fast enough to get to her in time. Naruto's clones were rapidly disappearing and with the real Naruto fending off his detainees, he couldn't summon more to replenish the numbers. He was the only one who could save her and he wasn't going to reach her in time.

She could easily use her enhance strength to fend off the pillars weight, keeping them from crushing her, but her chakra levels were low and Sasuke knew trying to find their person casting the jutsu would be near impossible in the chaos around him. The moment Sakura passed out from chakra depletion, she would be killed.

As the pillars closed in around her, a blur enveloped Sakura, removing her from harm's way. Fending off another attacker with his chokutō, Sasuke's blood red eyes searched for Sakura, but only found more attackers filling his vision.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed, using his blade to sever a man's torso from the rest of his body.

A sharp pain suddenly tore through his arm. Sasuke, in his panic for Sakura's whereabouts, allowed another attacker to have gotten a cheap shot in while he was preoccupied, but when the pain only intensified he knew this was something much worse. Removing his blade from another man's abdomen, Sasuke quickly turned it on the infected being clamped down on his bicep, neatly carving through the facial bones of the diseased. With its jaw now slack, Sasuke removed the remains from his arm, gripping it intensely as pain shot through his entire right side.

Naruto, having finally been able to free himself from and dispose of the ones holding him, summoned more clones to finish off the remaining assailants and hold off the reanimated stragglers that had gotten past his first wave of shadow clones.

"Shit man. This is bad," Naruto materialized at his left side to help keep him on his feet.

"Sakura," Sasuke, having forced his eyes shut in intense pain, opened one to look at Naruto.

Rather than answering, Naruto motioned with a nod of his head behind Sasuke. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke forced himself to take a glace over his injured side. There stood Sakura, blood splattered her exposed skin and coated her clothes; however a majority of the blood was not hers. Minus the deep gash along her side she was virtually uninjured. Sasuke should have felt relieved. She was okay, she was alive, but he all he could feel was an overwhelming rage boiling his blood. Sakura was being held snugly to a man's side by an arm around her waist, with several dismembered bodies lying at their feet.

"Sai," he managed to sneer before his world was enveloped in darkness.

...

**A/N:** Well hello there! Long time no see! I've started writing again. Granted, it's not as much as I would like to be able to, but it's something. Hope you enjoy the chapter and what's to come! I also went through and spent a great deal of time completely revamping previous chapters, fixing minor plot errors, grammar and punctuation mistakes, and all 12 chapters should now be squeaky clean! Should be...unless I missed something... : )

Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan:

s53. .html?sort=3&o=0 (remove spaces before 'Photobucket' and after .com)

Yomi, according to Japanese mythology, is comparable to Hades or Hell. Information can be found here: en. wikipedia wiki/Yomi (removes spaces)

Akuma, according to Japanese mythology, has many meanings. It can be comparable to "Demon, Devil; Fiend; Satan; Evil spirit." The best source I could find is here: www. stockkanji Demon_akuma (remove spaces), however I know this to be fact through my various readings and knowledge of Japanese culture and language.

For information on tantō (short) swords: en. wikipedia wiki/Tant%C5%8D (remove spaces)

Kanmuri-otoshi blade: These tantō had a single edge and a flat back. They had a _shingoni_ that extended to the tip of the blade and a groove running halfway up the blade. It was very similar to the _unokubi_ style tantō. For information on the types of blades associated with tantō style swords: en. wikipedia wiki/Tant%C5%8D#Tant.C5.8D_blade_types (remove spaces)

_Icha Icha Strap_ is a book only seen in the game_ Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3_ that can be given to Ebisu. All the other titles are severely overused and I wanted to add a little spice! Information found here: naruto. wikia wiki/Icha_Icha (remove spaces)

Earth Release: Bedrock Coffin – is a C rank jutsu. Info can be found here :

naruto. wikia wiki/Earth_Release:_Bedrock_Coffin (remove spaces)


End file.
